Reign of Chaos
by Princesse de Feu
Summary: May is an elite member of Team Aqua. Ash is a member of Team Magma. For years they've despised one another. When their teams decide to do something that even they know is wrong, can they get along well enough to stop it? Advanceshipping, AAMayL, AshxMay, slight Contestshipping possible.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! **

**This is my second fic on here and as promised, this one will be advanceshipping. It'll also have more of a plot than any of my other fics, though. It won't just focus on the shipping.**

**PLEASE READ-**

**Before I even start, I need to warn you that the characters _will be OOC_. This is because this is an AU and characters _have not experienced the same things as in the anime or games_, so they have slightly different personalities. You can flame, but please don't complain about characters being OOC. I know they are. They're supposed to be. :3**

**Rated ****M for bad language.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

A magnificent building of glass and metals shone brightly in the last of the days sun. It stood tall among the trees and hills that surrounded it and almost concealed it. On the side sat a shining blue metallic plate, in the shape of a strange A. From the top of the hills, the building seemed uninhabited and empty. Not a sound came from inside or out. The dark glass concealed whoever was inside. There seemed to be no doors or front. By the time the passer-by had taken it all in, it was almost done shining. The top corner finished glowing and the building died down. He turned and walked away. That's what they all did. That's what they were supposed to do.

Inside the building, a girl watched the watcher. She kept her hands clasped behind her back with a stance that made her like a commander. The two stared at each other for a few moments, but she didn't fret. She knew he couldn't see. Her lips stayed in a tight line that hardly ever seemed to move from her face. It seemed as if she made that face to intimidate people, but that was simply a fortunate bonus. May just never found anything to smile about. As was the life in Team Aqua.

When the man turned and walked away just like the others, she did the same. She glanced down at the watch specially designed to carry out certain tasks for her. Three minutes until she met with the rest of the elites and their leader, Archie. She ignored the rest of the members (for she hated calling them 'grunts') running around frantically as she headed for the board room. Amber would often get excited about big meetings like this one. He'd sometimes throw his arms around May's shoulder and laugh as he said encouraging quotes or jokes. May usually hissed and shrugged him off, but if she was in a good mood, she'd allow him his moment of fun. People needed it when they were stuck working in that godforsaken building. May might have gotten excited too, but she knew that there would be nothing new. Every time they met Archie would say the same thing. He'd give an update on Team Magma, and nothing ever seemed to change. They never even attacked each other like they used to. It was boring working in Team Aqua. They were getting nothing done.

May pushed the board room door open at exactly 11am. The rest of the elites twisted their heads to face her. Archie sat at the head of the table wearing a cat-like grin.

"Extraordinary timing, as usual." He tapped some papers against his desk. Everyone sat in the same position with their hands clasped together in front of them. May sighed and took her seat lazily, not following everyone's pattern. Archie expected nothing less.

"The way you say that makes it sound sarcastic," May muttered.

"Does it? I'll work on that. Take down your hood- we can't see you."

May raised her hands and pushed her hood back. The rest of the elites looked away as she did. May had the brightest blue eyes out of everyone that had ever joined Team Aqua. Not even the enemy Team Magma could find a member with eyes as beautiful as May's. When she first joined they seemed soft and innocent. Now they stared right through you. They were almost intimidating.

"Better." Archie nodded. "Now we can begin."

He cleared his throat, and May saw something in his eyes for a moment. His mouth twitched into a slight smirk before he began. She knew something was going to be different this time.

"Team Magma have made plans."

"Those lazy bastards are actually doing something?" Matt spat out, as if the word 'Magma' was taboo, or poisonous.

"Shut it. We can hardly call them lazy," May hissed. "What exactly are they doing?"

"They've upgraded some of their lowers to elites now that some have retired."

"Is that all?" Amber whined. Shelley lowered her head and rested it on her arms with a sigh. A bang on the table from Archie's fist brought her shooting back to life.

"No."

"Who are these new elites?"

"I can't tell you names."

Everyone fell silent. Archie stared off for a moment, lost in thought. He cleared his throat loudly and whirled around on his chair to face May. He held his hands together and rested his chin on them.

"Do you remember the day you arrived here, May?" he asked. May's mind flashed back, and the memory was still fresh, like it was just yesterday. She could play out every scene with detail to herself. She could have recited everything to anyone that asked.

"Of course."

"Good. Keep that in your mind. Now, back to the matter at hand. Our spies that have managed to grab Magma plans say they mean to head to a cave sometime soon."

"A cave? Don't they do this all the time? What's different this time?"

"God knows. Perhaps there's some sort of treasure down there. It could be something important, though. We're going to meet them there and intercept their plans. They won't see it coming unless they've detected our spies, which they haven't."

"You mean we're going to get out to fight Magma?! It's been years!" Amber cried. The others beamed at each other. It was true; it had been years. Presently, May was 17 years old. She was the youngest elite and one of the youngest members. Her ability was beyond anyone else's. Last time they fought, May was almost 15. She went out to battle. She beat 14 of them, including an elite. That was when Archie realised that he'd been underestimating her.

"Yes, we're going out to fight Team Magma. It's about time we reminded them who's top here in Hoenn."

They all cheered. May let herself laugh at how excited some of them got, like small children. Amber was 27 years old, and he was clapping like a little girl. Shelley was patting Matt on the back, and he was cheering hysterically. Archie smirked and shook his head. May gave the same reaction.

"We discuss it tomorrow. For now, you're dismissed."

They all stopped cheering and their faces grew straight again. Amber almost pushed his chair back to leave, but Shelley blocked him with her hand. He sat back down immediately.

"Wait," she said, and glared across the table at May. They'd all chosen to sit on the left side, except May. Now they all glared across at her. She blinked. "I want to know how you joined Team Magma. I know everyone's story but yours. You were here even before me."

May wasn't sure whether she wanted to tell her story or not. It wasn't something spectacular or great, but she always sounded self-centred when she told it. She wasn't being boastful, she was telling people exactly what happened. After some hesitation she shook her head and began her story. Even Archie and Amber, who already knew, stayed. She recited everything.

* * *

It was 7 years earlier. May, a 10 year old child, stumbled upon a cave. Her hair was tangled and matted. Her eyes were tired. She'd been staying near an inn, but they'd discovered her and chased her away. She found herself grateful for the cave. She needed shelter for the night, and many nights to come. She slung her bag over her shoulder and rested it against a rock just by the entrance. The path outside was cut off by a cliff that dangled high over the sea and sharp rocks at the bottom.

May was there for one reason. She'd ran away from home. She was only 9 when she learned the truth. After a year, she'd gotten sick. She would rather be anywhere than home.

A year ago, her father had returned home from work. Usually he came in late. She was used to that. She hardly ever saw him when he came in, since she was normally asleep by then. This time she was awake, and she happened to head down the stairs just as he entered the house. The moonlight from outside lit up the room and her father with it. He caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and she saw it. His hands were covered in blood.

Later she'd discovered that both of her parents were secretly members of Team Magma. The young girl struggled to understand what this meant, but she knew she didn't want to stay with them any more. Once she figured out, they changed. They did everything to stop May from saying anything to anyone. She rarely left the house. Not knowing what they were doing and seeing them returning at night drove her over the edge. After her father shouted violently at her one night, she left through her bedroom window. She managed to stay near that inn. It had been 5 days since she left. She knew she'd need to keep out of sight, or someone would take her back to them. God knows who they had looking.

She sighed and sat down on one of the rocks. She was only a 10 year old girl, and children tend to get bored easily. Even though she was running from home and should have been worrying, she found herself bored. She was bored for just five minutes. She heard someone shuffling around outside. She dived behind the rock and peered over the top cautiously. Her heart started to race. A shadow appeared by the entrance, but there was something different about it. It took her a few moments to realize that it wasn't the shadow of a man or a woman. By the time she figured it out, he was at the entrance. A boy, around her age, stared at her with curious eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked. May didn't budge. She cowered back behind the rock a little more. She could see now that he had raven black hair and chocolate eyes.

"Hey, can you talk?"

"Yes," May squeaked. He took a few steps in and gave a smile. May's jaw dropped and she stared. His smile looked so genuine, she couldn't possibly be afraid of him. She came out from behind the rock just a little.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her, and held out his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her up. He dropped her hand at once and they watched each other, almost cautiously.

"What's your name?" May asked as politely as she could manage.

"Ash," he answered with a childish grin. "Yours?"

"May."

"Well, May, what are you doing here? This place is dangerous."

May pouted. "Oh really? What are you doing here then? You can't be much older than me. I can take care of myself!"

"I bet you can't." Ash looked at her backpack sitting by the rock. May watched his every move. "Did you run away from home?"

"None of your business. Where do you live?"

Ash seemed to get nervous at that question. He shuffled his feet a little and choked. "Uh... Nearby. I gotta go back to my dad soon."

"Oh... Okay," she muttered. He noticed her tone. She desperately wanted company. She was enjoying talking to someone, though she wouldn't admit it.

"Fine, I'll come back later."

"But-"

"And I'll bring something for you."

"I didn't ask for you to come back!"

"I know." He smiled. "But I can tell you want me to."

May blushed and turned away with another pout. Ash laughed at her, turned away, and walked off. Neither of them had to say goodbye, because May knew he'd come back later like he said, and secretly, she was looking forward to it.

He came back later that day, when it was starting to get dark. He brought food and played games with her. It took her a while to ease up, but she had fun as soon as she did. They quickly became good friends. He came back every day that week to play with her. Every day she liked him more and more. She began to trust him deeply, since he was the only one she could talk to, and the only one who had bothered to talk to her since she left home. Then, three weeks after they first met, he suggested something different.

"Let's go deeper into the cave."

"What?" May asked, looking frightened. "But there could be anything down there..."

"I'll look after you, May," he assured her, "and I've already been there. It's fine."

"What's there?"

"You'll see."

He led her down the back of the cave. Something seemed to light it up, and she found that it was beautiful. She couldn't tear her eyes from the glowing rainbow that was the walls. Long columns of an ice-like substance stretched down from the ceiling. She raised her hand to touch it, though it was dry. Ash smiled as he watched her and dragged her further down. After ten minutes of walking, they came to a cavern area. It was more open than the cave corridors, and seemed to be lit by something invisible. May walked further than Ash and noticed the cliff edge immediately. The path they'd been walking on disappeared over the edge of it, and water sat at the bottom. A pool. The drop was long and jagged rocks waited at the bottom. She took a cautious step back and bumped into Ash's chest.

"Not what you expected?" he asked, and she stepped away a little. She smiled and took in the views around her. Things grew in here that she'd never seen before.

"I don't know what I expected."

A few moments of silence passed. May thought she could hear something coming from where they'd just been, but convinced herself that it was just a mouse.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Why are you shaking?"

"Something is making me uneasy. Who's coming?"

The noise in the cave came again, and it echoed around the walls of the cavern. May cowered and looked at Ash. He stood looking confidently across at her. She found tears were rising at the corners of her eyes.

"I invited some friends. May, don't be scared. This is a good thing."

May turned frantically and searched for another way out. The only way back was the way they'd come, and her bag was there anyway. She would need her Pokémon. Her heart started to race in her chest. She spotted the shadows from the corner of her eye.

"Let me leave!" she shouted. Ash looked scared now too. He was worried about May jumping. May wouldn't.

"May, what are you scared of? We're friends. I have a proposition for you."

Then they appeared behind him. Tall adult figures wearing strange red uniforms. May cowered near the edge. One of the men put a hand on Ash's shoulder, and Ash didn't shrug it off. May knew what they were. She'd seen these outfits before. She'd seen the outfits in her own house.

"If you join, May, you can be with me all the time. You'll have somewhere to stay too. They're not scary."

May felt sick. She couldn't have resented Team Magma more if she tried. Her father would be there too. She couldn't join, but these men looked threatening. She didn't have a choice here. Ash thought she did, but he was just a kid. They'd have tricked him. She needed to think of a way to escape quickly.

May would quickly discover her talent.

"Will you join?"

May gave Ash a determined, hard look, and shook her head. He seemed shocked for a moment, but then one of his friends stepped forward, and he didn't stop him.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, pretty girl," the man hissed. May waited for Ash to react like she predicted. He didn't. He just watched. May felt her heart smash. The man started to approach.

He launched forward and tried to grab her. Her reflexes allowed her to act quickly, and she slid to the side as she stuck her foot out and tripped the man up. The other swung for her then, and she dodged easily. She grabbed his arm, but he was much stronger than her. He flung her back and she smacked against the wall. After a cough she scrambled back up to run. The first man came back to grab her again. Ash watched as they fought like this for five minutes. The small girl was too agile for them, and they gave up. One of them reached for a Pokemon. May was too distracted with the other to notice. She almost bolted for the exit, when she felt something strong hit her. It was Gust. She planted herself into the ground, but she was too small. She was far smaller than even Ash. The wind blew her back, and she felt her feet lose the ground. When she reached for it again, it was gone. She was falling. She managed to suck in a breath to prepare for the rocks.

But they didn't come. Her back crashed against a ledge hidden halfway down. The collision knocked the wind out of her and she spluttered and curled up, unable to move. Pain shot up her left leg and she knew it was broken right away. She lay still and tasted blood.

"She's dead," a voice from above said. She didn't move. She didn't want to hide, but she just couldn't move. Ash leaned over. She could feel his eyes on her.

"Great, you idiot, she had so much potential. The girl was a better fighter than you! Just leave her. Nobody will find her down here."

Ash didn't say a word. She felt anger rising in her chest and she wanted to scream. She wanted to hit him and scream at him for doing this to her. No, she wanted to kill him for doing this to her. She swore to herself that one day she would.

And they disappeared in the cave again. May couldn't move. She started to wonder if she was going to die. She would of, if more people hadn't peered over the edge. These people were different though. They were the opposite of Team Magma. Team Aqua rescued her, and Team Aqua offered her a place with them. She didn't hesitate this time. She stopped being the quiet little girl, and now she was a hard, feared one, and the best looker there.

The elites had already been staring at her, and now they were staring harder. Her eyes flicked over each of them, and she realised they were surprised.

"That's much more interesting than my story," Shelley said as she rubbed the back of her head. Matt started to smile.

"And you became this good right away?"

May opened her mouth to answer, but Archie cut her off. "No. She was exceptional for a 10 year old, but not as great as she is now. Many members didn't accept her, since she was so weak-looking."

"My first two years were extremely hard," May admitted. "I almost regretted joining."

"That sucks. If I'd known, I would have beaten them up for you," Matt hissed. May gave a little laugh and his face lightened up. Matt was around 30 years old, the oldest of the elites. May considered him her big brother, and he considered her his little sister. He was built like a real Team Aqua member, with muscles large enough to stand out. May always felt safer when he was around, even though she was even more capable than he was.

"You ever seen that boy or your parents since you joined?" Shelley asked. May shook her head.

"My parents are most likely dead or retired. As for the boy... I've given up. If I haven't seen him yet then he's clearly not there any more. I'd almost forgotten until I just told the story now..."

"Don't let it bother you, May."

"I wouldn't," she said quickly. "It was seven years ago. I'm over it completely."

"Good. We're going to be facing Team Magma soon. You'll be with me."

"With you? You usually go alone-"

"Well I want you with me this time. You'll join me inside there. While the rest distract the members, you and I will take what they're searching for and return to the fight."

"You already know what they're searching for." May glared. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Archie didn't confirm or deny it. After a moment, May nodded and pushed her chair back to stand. The rest of the elites followed her lead and they walked out together in excited silence.

* * *

May woke to a knock on her door early the next morning. She pushed herself out of the bed and rubbed her eyes as she walked to the door. Pulling it open, she met Shelley, and Shelley's eyes dropped to May's bare legs. May had slept in just her underwear. She shook her head.

"You're lucky it's me, you're showing off a bit more than usual there. Here." She handed May a pile of what seemed to be uniform. May could tell just by looking at the size of the pile that there wasn't much there.

"Why the new uniform?" she asked. Shelley gave a little mischievous laugh as May unfolded the clothes are stared at the tight pants and tiny top. She frowned.

"I think the boss's plan is to use you to distract people, wearing that." She laughed loudly and patted a shocked looking May on the shoulder. "It'll work, anyway!"

With that she left, and May tried on the uniform. The shirt was like a tank top, but it didn't reach her waist. It just covered past her chest and no more, and was pitch black. It came with a little short sleeved jacket which was dark blue, and had the Aqua logo on the side. The pants were the typical Team Aqua ones, but they were tight like skinny jeans. May wondered if this was really necessary as she pulled them on. She was given a pair of stylish black boots too, which she liked. She put those on too. Then she grabbed the typical Team Aqua bandanna and tied it loosely around her hair as she left the room. She noticed right away that people were staring. She tried not to focus on it, and met Matt and Shelley in the control room. They loomed over some workers as if they were actually doing something.

"Bloody hell, what's that?" Matt asked as she approached and she sighed.

"It's just the same as my uniform," Shelley said with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, except look how tight it is. Her pants. Just... Wow?"

"I'd never be able to guess you were 17, if I didn't already know," Shelley commented. May felt slightly uncomfortable and tugged her little black shirt down as far as she could.

"Missing that hood you're so used to wearing? At least you can't hide your face now. There's no need to hide it. You're beautiful, May."

Hearing Shelley say that was weird to May, but she smiled anyway. She knew Shelley was pretty too, but everyone thought she was prettier.

"So, May," Matt started, and she directed her attention to him. "Why did you go easy with the story yesterday? I mean, usually you tell it longer than that. You tell us about the stuff that happened in those two weeks. When you told me four years ago you seemed to enjoy the memories."

"I never enjoyed the memories. I enjoyed them at the time, but now they're just annoying. I didn't want to say all of that and it wasn't necessary."

"Oh, so cold and stubborn as usual," Shelley sighed. "What were you holding back, hm? Something about that boy?"

"Yes, she was in love with him."

"Matt!"

"In love?"

"No!" May cried, shaking her head. "I wasn't. I was only ten. I didn't know what love was then and I don't now. I don't need love like that. We kissed once and that was it."

"Oh, you kissed him?"

"Yes. He introduced me to his friends and we were all very close. I left that bit out because it's just useless. I've lost all feelings for him at all. If anything, I hate him. I hated him with all my heart when I came here. If I ever see him again, I'll kill him."

With that, May left the room. She leaned against the closed door for a moment and calmed her breathing down. Perhaps she hadn't completely forgotten about him. As soon as he was mentioned, she felt something building up inside her. It was hatred. She still hated him more than anything, even after all those years, and she always would- until he was dead. Some people she told thought it was a bit extreme, but she didn't. She thought he deserved it for what he did. Things happened in the cave and he just let them happen. He was either a horrible person or a coward.

Shelley watched the door for a while once she'd left. She knew something May didn't. _Would she really kill him?_

* * *

Days of planning had passed, though there was not much planning to be done. Team Aqua liked to keep things simple, and were quite happy to just pounce on the enemy with surprise. May felt an urge to argue, but kept it to herself. It wasn't her place to argue with their leader, though it might have done them all good sometimes.

May crossed her arms. It was a good thing that it was so warm outside today. After all, she was wearing an outfit that left little to the imagination. At least her legs were covered. Shelley was beside her in a slightly different outfit as they cautiously slithered around the entrance to the cave. Their grunts would march in to battle the other grunts separately, while the elites would sneak past it all to find Maxie, and whoever was with him.

Amber slipped out of the darkness to stand beside them.

"They're keeping some elites with the grunts. God knows why. Maxie is practically alone."

"They've done a few stupid cave missions before, and we've never intervened. We're only doing so now because we're all getting restless. He definitely isn't expecting us to drop in. Ready, May?"

May nodded. The grunts were already inside, battling the enemy grunts. May could hear their shouts, even from the entrance.

"Remember, make your own way in. You get left behind, you're stuck."

That's how it had always worked in Team Aqua. Everyone made their own way. It was how they proved that they really were up for being elite. May would have to find her own way past all the grunts, and she thought she had the best way of doing it. She would simply walk through. Reckless May wouldn't even stop to battle any of them.

Matt was already gone. Amber ran in next, then Shelley went the other way, around the edge of the cave. May didn't wait to see where she was going. She set off running down the cave, knowing where to place her feet and exactly where to look. She was almost there when a lookout spotted her, and gave a call so loud, it rang in her ears.

"Team Aqua elite!"

May scowled at the man, but kept running nonetheless. She heard the man get down from the rock he'd been balanced on and merely watch her leave. Was the outfit working?

She heard a rustle nearby and her heart stopped for a moment as she dived out of the way. A Flamethrower passed over her head, and then she was on her feet again, sprinting for the opening she was beginning to see. She leaped out of the way of another attack and almost lost balance. She gritted her teeth, pushing back her fear, and leaped from the edge of the cliff before her. She took in a deep breath as she plunged down and hit the body of water at the bottom. And then it hit her. This was _that_ cave. She surfaced, gasping for air, and turned behind her. The men were gone. She looked down and spotted the ledge she'd landed on all those years ago, and the jagged rocks beneath it. Without a second thought she turned again and swam for the edge of the water. She couldn't let this bother her.

She clambered out of the water and pushed herself up. She was heavy now with the water, but it'd get easier as she went on, so she made her way to a gap in the rock, just wide enough for a person to squeeze through. She could hear the shouting louder now, and it echoed all around. She pushed herself through the gap, pulling in her chest and stomach as much as she could manage, until she passed through the gap entirely, and looked out upon the scene. She put an arm out to balance herself and clutched the rock. 100 feet up, she stared down upon the thousands and thousands of Pokémon battles. Her eyes widened. Attacks flew all around, and men fought with both fists and their Pokémon. May drew in a ragged breath. She couldn't recognise any of them from her position, leaning from a hole high up in the wall. She seemed like a leader to anyone who noticed her below.

One boy below did notice her. He stood out from the rest in a uniform that showed he was an elite in Team Magma. His head twisted to face the wall, and he noticed her there, looking down at him.

Not recognising the girl at all, Ash drew a Pokeball from his belt.

And 100 feet up, May took in a deep breath, and threw herself from the wall.

* * *

**As always with first chapters, I'm sceptical. Let me know what you think in reviews! Reviews motivate me, and they also let me know what I'm doing right/wrong.**

**Thanks! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello hello!**

**I am so so sorry this took so long. I've been so busy with school and stuff that I haven't had much time to write at all. It's here now though, and I hope it's okay!**

* * *

As early morning passed, the elites of Team Aqua fought their way through the crowd of opposing grunts. The only sounds they made were screams to their Pokemon and cries when they were hurt. Matt and Shelley worked together, moving as a pair to keep each other safe. Amber left to take the other side of the field. Their grunts swarmed in like flies to pick the others off. Many of their grunts had already fled by the time they reached the middle, but the same could be said of the other team. The room smelled of heat an bodies clashing as the battle became more and more violent, and people put their Pokemon away to fight with their fists and feet. The roars of fighting made Shelley's head ring, and she ducked behind a boulder to catch her breath and soothe her head.

"Where's May?" Matt called as he found a place beside her. The cave was so warm, Shelley barely felt him beside her, until his hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"I haven't seen her," she shouted above the noise. "Did she get left behind? It's not been long at all, you know."

"She hasn't been left behind. She wouldn't get left behind. She's too strong for that. She'll catch up with us soon, you'll see."

Matt prepared to rejoin the fight. From scanning the area, he could see that they were slowly pressing forward. Team Magma grunts were falling faster than Aqua grunts, but there seemed to be more of Team Magma than ever before. They would have to keep going.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Shelley caught a movement where everything else was still, and her head turned instinctively towards it.

"Oh, shit. I think I've just found her."

* * *

May's body plunged through the air. Tears came to her eyes as they were forced closed by the wind rippling around her. Her stomach twisted violently as she felt that falling sensation again. Exactly the same as 7 years ago. She sucked in a deep breath to control herself. It was going to be okay. She was going to be okay. Her body continued to plummet down. A few people watched her now as she got dangerously close to the ground. The air clawed at her face and limbs, making her unable to move, and she'd already given in to it. Then, just ten feet from the ground, she stopped. Blaziken snatched her up into his arms and crashed into the ground below. As they hit the bottom she gasped for air and clung to its body in desperation. Her wobbly legs found the ground, but she kept Blaziken's fur in her fingers for a moment, until she could steady herself.

Ash froze behind her.

A moment later, she was back to herself. She looked out across at the scene. Very little people were back with her now. Most of them were fleeing. She wouldn't flee. She needed to find Archie. She needed to help her friends. And so, she got to work. She launched at a taller grunt, wrapping a leg around his and knocking him to the ground. Blaziken went off on it's own, shooting flames at anyone not wearing a uniform it recognised. Neither of them noticed the figure behind, watching with a Pokeball dangling in his hands, unable to pull himself together. His breath caught in his throat when she turned her head for a moment and he caught sight of her face. A face recognisable enough for him.

Then she was gone, and his thoughts flooded back in. He clutched the Pokeball tight in his hand and set off in the direction she'd went. He found himself scanning the crowd for her. His face began to twitch.

May was well into the crowd. She swung at whoever swung at her, and kept moving. Blaziken threw attacks around nearby, and she glanced regularly to check that he was still with her. Her main priority was getting to the back of the room, where she'd see the way to Archie and Maxie. The room began to spin as she realized just how heavily the fear and weariness was. The jump had knocked all of the wind out of her, and the sickness was just hitting her now. She swayed to the side for a moment, almost falling and smacking against the floor. She steadied herself, but everything seemed to be in slow motion. She grabbed for the air in a desperate attempt to steady herself. She had not felt this way in 7 years.

But Blaziken guided her through the crowd of fights and screams until she reached the very back, unnoticed. A tunnel at the back seemed to glow with the light of torches that had been set up along its walls, and she decided that Archie would be there. She needed to see what was going on. She needed to get away from all the noise. She wondered if she'd be any help to Archie at all in her current condition.

Behind her, Ash's eyebrows furrowed with his negative feelings. He noticed the girl before him swaying like a drunk, and he knew she wasn't okay. He knew that something was wrong with her. In his heart he felt concern, but his mind told him not to care and he continued to follow without doing a thing to help. He couldn't let this bother him. The questions swirled and clouded his mind.

He sprinted into the tunnel she'd entered so that she didn't have a chance to leave his sight. He had only caught sight of her face for a moment, only long enough to simply recognise her. He didn't know what she looked like yet, but her hair was almost in the same style, but much neater and nicer and cleaner. From behind he could see that her jeans were as tight as they could be, and her t-shirt was small. They revealed her great figure. Ash shook that thought straight out of his mind.

Just as she reached the end of the tunnel, May's arm shot out so that she could lean against the wall and calm herself down. Silent Ash could hear her breathing from quite far behind. She sounded as if she was having an attack. Still, she stood up and walked into the room as if nothing had been bothering her. Ash found a position in the wall from which he could watch everything that went on inside. May strode over to stand beside Archie, who had been facing Maxie.

"Impeccable timing, my dear," Archie complimented, and May didn't move an inch or speak a word. Maxie's eyes darted over the girl as he inspected her.

"Who's this then? A girl, your head member? She can't be much older than 16."

Ash waited silently for confirmation that it was actually the girl that he used to know. He needed to hear that it was actually her. He desperately wanted to know how she had survived. He desperately wanted to battle her, too.

"Yes, my head member is a girl. I don't see how that's a problem at all."

"What's your name then?" Maxie asked, with a sour tinge in his tone. May folded her arms across her chest.

"How is that any of your business?"

Ash's breath caught in his throat as he heard her speak for the first time. Her voice was deeper and maturer now, but it hadn't changed all that much. That was confirmation enough for him. He crept out further from behind the wall, squinting to see better.

"Feisty one you've got here. Lovely of you to corner me in here, my friend. I admit I didn't expect you to intercept at all."

"I thought as much, and that's why I did."

"Clever man."

A short silence followed. The room was filled with tension. Ash studied May carefully, and noticed her twitching ever so slightly. He couldn't tell whether she was twitching with her sickness or because she wanted to leap for the man before her. The item they'd been searching for was revealed now, lodged in the wall at the back of the small room they'd made before Team Aqua decided to show up. It shone bright, even if the room was only lit by meagre torches. Ash watched May glance at it for a few seconds then turn away again. He still couldn't see her face.

"That's a very, very large diamond you've found there, Maxie," Archie commented, staring at the jewel in the wall. May's eyes burned into Maxie.

"You want it for yourself. I dare say this isn't a fair fight, now is it?"

"Fair doesn't matter in this game, I'm afraid." Archie shrugged. "Where are your elites?"

"Distracted by yours and your grunts." Maxie seemed to back up a little then. "What will you do?"

May noticed that he almost sounded scared, and she felt an urge to get him then and there, without giving him a chance to get any sort of help. Archie seemed to be wasting time. She wondered why he would do that. She decided that she'd give him one more minute, then she'd attacked. She pulled a Pokeball from her belt and recalled Blaziken.

"I think we'll continue what we're doing here. Are you scared?" Archie laughed. May turned to glare at him hardly, and he looked back at her. He placed a hand on her shoulder gingerly and leaned in to whisper something in her ear.

Ash didn't need to hear what was said. He knew what Archie had told May. May tensed up and went back to watching Maxie, but only for a second or two. Then, she was moving, swifter than light, and stuck a leg out as she ducked down, and danced around Maxie, tripping him. He fell onto his back with a thud and May skidded to a halt and Archie was at the controls of the machine. Maxie was getting to his knees in a second, but May turned to launch back at him. She prepared, and jumped for him, sprinting. She was just two feet from him, with only him in her sights, prepared to knock him out cold, when a crippling weight knocked her to the side and she tumbled to the floor. She gasped for air. Her face was twisted with anger and rage and she closed her eyes and struggled with the force that was pinning her down. Until she realised that it wasn't fighting back.

Ash watched her eyes flicker open, almost timidly. Her face had been full of rage, her teeth gritted and her brow furrowed. For a moment her eyes landed on him, narrowed and flowing with violence. Then all of the anger seemed to drain away. As Ash held her arms down and leaned above her, her eyes widened and her emotions swayed out of control. Her doe-like eyes studied his face for a moment, and Ash wondered how she was feeling. He wondered whether she would give up and let him keep her there until Maxie could recover. It seemed like she would for a moment, and then he felt her knee raising beneath him, and it collided with his stomach. He bent over in pain and released her arms without realising. She jumped up and knocked him over to take over the position he'd had on her. Except Ash struggled. She strained to keep his arms locked to the floor, but he was bigger, and he gave her a hard time. She brought her knee to his stomach again and pressed down as hard as she could manage, and Ash winced in pain.

Maxie cried out in anger from somewhere nearby, and in the second that May was distracted, Ash took advantage and pushed her to the side. She landed heavily, just a foot from him, and gritted her teeth to bear the pain. Ash scrambled to his feet and backed up. He'd completely forgotten about the two bosses in the room with them. To him, there was only May. Her whole body shook with her furious breaths as she knelt and looked at him. Her glare cut into him like a knife.

"May!" Archie called. May had opened her mouth to speak, but now she whirled around to find her boss clutching the diamond under his arm. Maxie was nowhere to be seen. May turned back to Ash, who looked both defeated and bitter at the same time. He stayed pressed against the machine they'd brought to dig at the cave walls. May pushed herself up and brushed herself off. A wave of dizziness hit her and she put a hand to her head and she swayed backward. Archie held out an arm to steady her and wrapped it around her arm to keep her up. Her eyes threatened to drift shut. Ash wondered whether they'd capture or kill him. Instead, Archie looked at him once, then walked away.

May dared to gaze at him as she left. He noticed a tear roll down her cheek as she was led away into the now darkness of the tunnel.

He slid down and sat with his head in his hands.

* * *

May woke later in her room. She blinked and rubbed her painful eyes, but didn't make a sound. She no longer felt dizzy or felt as if she would pass out. When she moved she felt a slight pain in her right leg, but she chose to ignore it and it went away once she managed to swing her legs over the side of the bed to sit there tiredly. She rubbed her head gingerly as the door creaked gently open to her left.

"You're up!" Shelley announced as she entered. She'd planned on being quiet so not to wake her friend, but that didn't matter now, it seemed, as she made as much noise as possible. May winced and smiled weakly.

"How long was I out?" May asked. It was strange for her because nothing like this had happened to her since she very first joined. She'd never looked vulnerable or weak like that and it was the first time she'd allowed herself to lean on another member for help. She wondered if it would change anything.

"Two days."

May almost choked on nothing. She looked to Shelley with a hurt-stricken face.

"Two whole days? How?"

"I suppose you were hurt pretty bad. Don't worry, nobody sees you any differently. Everyone needs help sometimes, May. Are you okay to get up now?"

"Yeah, why? Some work?" May asked quickly. She was eager to get back to work as soon as possible so that people would see she was okay. The fact that she'd been out for two days rang around in her head. Memories from then were foggy.

"Kind of. Archie has been acting strange. I think something's up."

"What kind of weird?" May asked, sitting up straighter. Shelley moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside her after she'd gently shut the door behind her. Shelley and May were friends, and as close to best friends as they could be. Nobody really made friends in Team Aqua and Magma. They had no time to spend time together, but May felt as if she could trust Shelley, so that was as close to a best friend as she had.

"He goes out alone and takes nobody with him."

"That doesn't sound like him."

"He has secret phone conversations in his office that nobody is allowed to hear."

"That is strange..."

"And, he's awfully... _happy_."

May looked away for a moment with a smile on her face. She'd been worried when Shelley had mentioned their boss, but now she was relieved. She couldn't believe her friend could be so blind.

"Shelley, think about it. Who else could he be seeing, but a partner?"

"A _partner_? You mean like a significant other? Oh!"

May gave a little happy laugh and her friend sighed with relief. She put a hand on May's arm.

"I was stupid for not realizing that. Sorry if I worried you, May. You might want to go see Archie now that you're awake and clear some things up, okay?"

"Okay." May nodded. Shelley stood and left quietly. May sighed into her hands and pushed herself up. She wondered how much she could have missed in two days.

An hour later, after she'd showered and changed, May stood at Archie's door. She knocked in a particular way, the way she always knocked, and she heard him move to answer right away. He was smiling when he opened the door, but it was not the kind of smile she expected. It was more... malevolent.

"I'm glad you're up. Are you feeling alright? You look a bit worried."

_I always give away too much with my face. I need to work on that._

"Yes, I'm alright. Just wondering what I missed."

"You haven't missed much, I'm afraid, but I do still need to talk to you." Archie stepped back to make room for May. She walked into his office and he shut the door behind them. As always she walked over to her favourite seat and sat with her legs crossed, waiting. Archie strolled over to his seat like an angry father, with his hands clasped behind his back. May decided that he was basically her father figure now.

"Is something wrong?" she asked impatiently, and he stopped strolling. He looked almost sorry for her.

"Not exactly. We need to talk about the boy. Ash."

May felt a lump form in her throat and she swallowed hard.

"What about him?" she asked as steadily as she could manage.

"You couldn't hurt him." Archie took his seat. His expression was fixed as hard and serious. She couldn't look him in the eye. "You went easy on him."

"I didn't-"

"May, I know that you did. It was obvious."

"It was because I was hurt. I wouldn't hesitate t-"

"You don't have to lie to me, May, I'm not angry. I'm just wondering why. I need to know that you'll be okay with this boy."

"I know, I wi- Wait, what do you mean, 'okay with him?'" May asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Humour me, May. Would you be okay around him?"

May stood up quickly, pushing her seat back onto the floor. "What's going on? Are you recruiting him? Why would I need to be okay with him at all?"

"There's no need to raise your voice, May. I'm not recruiting him. You'll see what's happening once I finish planning it."

May's lip was trembling now. She remembered everything. It had been so difficult to see him. She barely had time to see, but she could see him in her head now, and the image burned right into her. She had hesitated. She had hesitated because she still saw the boy that had been her best friend years ago. She couldn't have him anywhere near her.

"Don't bring him anywhere near me," May warned, backing up towards the door. "I'll leave."

"May, I think you could get along with him again if you tried... Just forget about what happened, it was seven years ago, and for God's sake, stop being so over dramatic."

May reached for the door handle without averting her gaze. She let herself out and slammed the door shut as loud as she could manage. Members around looked at her, but she didn't care. Her heart was racing. This couldn't happen.

"There you are!" she heard from down the corridor. She knew it was Amber before she looked. She leaned against Archie's door with her chest rising and falling abnormally fast. Amber approached her.

"You okay, May?"

She shook her head.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Something bad is going to happen," May muttered. "I don't know where I'll go. What will I do? Who will I see?"

"What are you talking about?" Amber asked, cocking his head. "Did you hit your head?"

"Hang on," May spat and whirled around to enter the room again. She shut the door on Amber. Archie looked as if he knew she'd be back. He waited for her to speak.

"Tell me, please," she pleaded. She couldn't spend days worrying about this.

"If I do, will you promise not to tell anybody else?"

"Yes, I promise," May said without thinking whether she could actually keep that promise or not.

"I have big plans for us, May, and it's going to be great. We're not getting anywhere alone, and I know that we can fix that by working with Team Magma. We can get something done. Maxie and I have something big planned and I think that you'll like it."

"Woah, woah, woah, hang on, _Maxie and I_? That's who you've been talking to?"

"Yes, and Maxie and I will be getting on from now on. So will you and Ash."

"I _refuse_. There must be a way to keep him away from me, even if this does happen."

"This _will _happen, and I can't possibly keep you away from him all of the time."

"I can't believe this," May grumbled, putting her head in her hands.

"I thought you were better than this, May. I didn't think you'd let one person stand right in your way."

"Oh, I promise you, he's not in my way," she replied, opening the door one last time. "I'm in his."

When May finally arrived back at her room, her mood had moved from casually annoyed to an angry storm. She huffed as she sat on the edge of her bed and ran her hand through her hair. It was strange. It was the last thing she expected to happen.

"I've been so _blind_!"

She let herself lie on her side and pulled the covers up over her. She finally let her feelings back in, and was flooded with a river of pain in her head. Still, she found comfort in the sheets against her bare arms and fell asleep within a few minutes.

And she awoke to a rustling outside. Her stomach clenched tightly, and she threw the covers to the side. They landed on the floor in a heap as she reached the toilet and threw up practically nothing. She spent a while wincing and brushing her teeth then, but the clenching feeling was still making her woozy. May's head was a daze.

"What's going on?" she tried to shout as she got to the door, but her voice was lost in the commotion. The door swung open.

"Mornin', Sunshine."

"What?"

Shelley took hold of the brunette's arm and looked her in the eyes. They were glazed over.

"My God, May, you are not okay. Come with me, you need to eat something. I swear everyone in here is an idiot, not feeding you. Is anything else wrong? Do you hurt anywhere? Can you hear properly?"

She continued to rattle on as they moved to the dining hall. Shelley didn't seem to notice that May wasn't really answering her questions at all. May was too busy watching the people around her. She knew what was going on, somewhere in the back of her mind, but she was too groggy to understand now. Out the corner of her eye, as they entered the hall together, she spotted somebody she knew for a second. Then they were gone again.

Shelley fed her as much as she could, until May refused to eat any more. It took a while after eating for May's stomach to feel any better, but it was such a relief when it did, and she started to take in her surroundings for the first time. The older woman seemed engrossed too.

"I never thought this would happen."

"What is going on? What time is it, Shelley?"

"Gods, May, I hope you get better soon. I thought I hadn't seen you around all day, but I didn't realise you were asleep the entire time..."

"I slept for a whole day?"

"Yes, and I bet you didn't eat anything while you were awake."

"I didn't... eat for days."

"No wonder you were sick, love. You should feel better now."

"You didn't answer my first question. What's going on?"

Shelley hesitated. Her eyes flickered for a moment and seemed to die out slightly. May knew something was different. Then she allowed herself a good look around, and her stomach sank. Everyone swirled around her in a mix of colours.

Red and blue. Blue _and red_.

"T-Team Magma..." she stuttered, feeling her throat close. She couldn't force the words out.

"Yes, they're here."

May suddenly wanted to throw up again. Archie had acted much faster than she'd expected. She hadn't even had time to talk to him about it, and they were here? She wasn't ready to face them, and what if she saw the same grunts that attacked her 7 years ago? She knew she was higher and stronger now, but in her current state, she would probably pass out.

"I... I have a fever," May muttered, rubbing her head. Shelley's hand wrapped around her arm again and she was being lifted from her seat.

"I'll walk you back and get you some water, okay? I know you've slept a lot and you're probably not tired, but you need to rest some more. You're gonna need to be fit for when we start."

"Start? Start what?" she asked. Shelley ignored her. May felt small beneath her for the first time.

She slept again once she'd drank water. She dreamt of her home and her parents, before she ran away; a dream she'd frequently had a few years ago. This was the first time in a long while. She found her brother Max, whom she'd almost forgotten about, in his room and they played, chasing each other and wrestling. Her parents laughed and cooked and worked as parents do. May seemed happy. Then there was smoke, and the walls caught fire, burning down and melting into horrible black piles of ash and oil on the floor. May coughed and spluttered in the smoke and gave a blood-curdling scream.

She woke with a jolt, so that she was sitting, her breath heavy and ragged. She put a hand on her head, but she was not sweating. Her covers had fallen off her during her sleep. She closed her eyes and focused on calming herself down.

And there was a rustling.

She turned her head, her eyes glassy with half-sleep, and saw him. Ash Ketchum, lying on a bed at the other side of the room. The scream came again.

* * *

**I will try to update quicker. ;-;**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yup, back super quick with another update for this story, because I'm enjoying writing it so much. Plus, new laptop, and better keyboard! Enjoy!**

* * *

The scream rattled against the walls, bouncing back and forth around the room like a howl from a wolf, and soon his head snapped up in alarm. Her face was burning with utter disgrace, contempt, and anger. The scream quickly turned into grumbling.

"May, calm down, I can explain," he was saying, but she was not listening. She was on her feet, and her bare feet padded heavily towards him, and she grabbed his collar. He raised his hands, showing he wouldn't defy her, and the two of them stared at each other in very different ways. One was a cruel, crazy stare, and the other was a more frightened, concerned stare.

After a moment, she let go.

"You're absolutely crazy."

May was not done. She raised a hand to point towards him, and he noticed just how violently she was shaking. Ever her lips were trembling.

"You gonna say something, or just stand there?"

"Shut up," she hissed. "Get out. Get out! This is my room, so get out!"

"No, May, stop shouting and listen to me. This was not my choice!"

"Get out!"

The door swung open and Shelley appeared like an angel, with a bright face and a happy smile. The picture of a good worker. She looked between the two and shook her head. She moved towards May first.

"Are you feeling better yet, May? Sit down, please, you're shaking."

May followed the girls instructions and it was as if Ash had disappeared completely. He stood watching as the two girls sat down and began to talk.

"Shelley, what is this?"

"Archie instructed Ash to stay here with you. Ash tried to argue too, I heard it."

"But Shelley... What is all of this?"

"What is she talking about?" Ash cut in. "Doesn't she know."

"May's been sick," Shelley replied without tearing her eyes away from May. She'd gone as pale as the sheets beneath her. "She missed almost everything."

"So she doesn't know about me?"

"What about you?" May snapped in the most unpleasant tone she could manage. Ash flinched.

"Ash is your new partner," the woman beside her answered for him. May felt a lump rise in her throat.

"What do you mean? Elites don't need partners, that's just for members... I don't do partners, I work alone."

"Not anymore, it seems," he dared to interrupt. May turned to look at him again. She didn't say a word, and now her face was different. It was not hard, or angry, or disgusted. It was almost as if she was going to cry, and he thought he knew why. He did know why.

"There's more to explain later, but I can't tell you now. Your face is giving away so much. I'm afraid if I tell you anymore you'll rampage or explode."

"Thanks anyway, Shelley," she muttered, but she didn't sound thankful. She sounded dead.

Shelley took her leave then, though May wished she would stay, even if she didn't say a word. May didn't feel as if she could stand being alone with him. She had never ever felt this weak. She had never ever been this conflicted. It made her sick to her stomach. She placed a hand on it.

"Should I get you some water?" his voice came so lightly, she almost responded nicely.

"No, I can help myself."

"If you say so..." He was reading something, and lying back on the bed that had been set there for him. So casual. May wanted to wipe the look off of his face, and he wasn't even smiling. She wanted him out of her room and out of her life. Suddenly she realised that what she felt was violated. Yet something else she felt was stronger than that. Questions about what was going on were eating away at her, and there was nobody else in the room. She mustered up all of her strength and prepared to ask.

Her mouth opened and shut again.

She lay back on her bed and groaned loudly. She wouldn't utter a word to the monster in the room with her. She wouldn't go near him. How could she forgive him? How could she work with someone who had hurt her so badly? She turned to look at him subtly, and tried to think of him as the boy she knew all those years ago. A weird feeling rose in her stomach and she turned away.

A knock on the door sent a flood of relief through her.

"Come in," she said loudly. Ash gave her a look then, but by the time she looked back, she'd missed it.

Matt came in, and May realised she hadn't seen him in many days. A real smile crept up onto her face and she rose out of bed to meet him. She allowed herself to throw her arms around the bigger man, and he laughed sheepishly. She forgot Ash was staring from his bed. Familiar friends were a great sight to her. Especially friends who had always kept her safe. No matter what was going on, she knew Matt would be there and it would be okay.

"Nice to see you too, little one," he said as she pulled away, and she pulled a face at the name he chose for her. Ash watched the scene silently.

"How are you?" May asked, looking her friend up and down. He seemed okay.

"I'm just fine. The real question is, how are _you_?"

"Better now, I think... I haven't had time to think about it. I feel fine."

"Good, because I've been sent to fetch you. Sorry I haven't been to see you. It's been mad around here."

"It's okay."

Matt raised an eyebrow at the girl. She looked pale, tired, and awful compared to usual. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm scared," she admitted, and Ash was taken aback.

"Scared? What of?"

"All of this. I don't even know what's going on, and with Team Magma here, I... I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry, May," Matt said with a light-hearted laugh. He put a hand out and ruffled her hair playfully. She smiled a little. "I'll look after you, alright? Now, you have to come and see the boss. You probably don't want to, but it will clear things up for you."

"You're right, I don't want to, but I will. I guess I have no choice here anyway. Tell him to come for me himself next time."

She prepared to leave, and Matt had already made his way out of the door, when an unexpected voice came from beside her.

"May?"

She turned to him, feeling the lump in her throat again. She tried to stop her face from showing anything.

"There's something I have to tell you. Will you talk to me later?"

May was frightened. She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to know what he had to say. She didn't feel as if she could be alone with him, or talk to him normally, after everything. Who could blame her?

"Maybe," she managed, but her voice came out smaller than she wanted, and she quickly turned and hurried away. Just a few days ago, they'd been on top of each other, trying to attack. Now they were talking again? No.

Archie was sitting in his office again, but this time he was not alone. She entered without knocking, simply because she forgot to. He looked at her calmly as she shut the door, and she noticed Maxie sitting where she usually sat at the conference table. She couldn't bring herself to be surprised anymore. She didn't know where to move to.

"Sit down, May," Archie said, and he really did sound like he used to again. She took a seat as far away from Maxie as she could.

"Just so you know, I am not pleased. At all."

"I know," he answered quickly. "But you will get used to it. You're a strong girl."

May glared at him without saying a word. Her face looked mostly dark and unimpressed. Maxie smirked at it.

"Right. Lovely. I just thought I'd let you know what's going on here. You still here?"

May raised an eyebrow as if Archie was stupid and nodded, never once looking away from him. He almost flinched. She really did seem powerful when she acted like that.

"Maxie has brought Team Magma here. Half of the building was empty anyway, and every elite has a partner elite from the other team, and I chose a good one for you, as I suppose you've seen. With Team Magma here too, we've doubled our forces. With this kind of power, we can achieve anything."

"And by anything, you mean... what, exactly?" May asked. Archie felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. May sounded like the old her there. May had always been ready to work, and she was merciless. She was the perfect villain. He was glad she was still here after everything she'd been put through.

"We haven't told anybody else yet. In fact, we're still planning. You're the only person to come in here today."

"It's past midday. Are you going to tell me before anybody else? Oh, how _special _I feel."

"I trust you more that anybody here. Maxie trusts my judgement, even though you tried to off with him. You're strong, you're powerful, and best of all, you're... dark. I like that. I think you will like what we have in store."

"Go ahead..." May urged. Archie had the same tone of voice he'd had when he told her his last plans. This was something big. She was almost reluctant to hear.

"Okay, so..." his voice was like a small child's. He was excited. He smiled. "We're going to take over Hoenn."

It felt like a punch to the stomach.

"You... what?" May asked, trying to keep composed. She swallowed back a lump in her throat and bit her lip slightly. She was even more frightened now.

"It will be easy. We'll overthrow the leaders, and then the people will be ours, and who will stop us? We have so many men, we are unstoppable!"

"You mean... we're going to control the people of Hoenn too?" May asked. There was another feeling now too. A feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was dread.

"Of course."

"And... What if members don't agree with this?"

Archie's face grew grim then, and May felt another punch on her stomach. She curled her arms across her chest and gulped. Archie looked to Maxie. Maxie smiled sweetly.

"We thought about that, and I thought of this ingenious idea. It's something I was working on back at my own HQ."

He reached into his jacket pocket and fumbled around for a second before he pulled something out. It was small, and glass. May had to lean closer to get a good look. When she did she saw it was full of a clear liquid, and a chip was stuck onto the side. She narrowed her eyes at the man.

"What is it?"

"It's a control pill." He picked it up and moved it around in his hand. Suddenly, she understood. "The chip takes control of the brain. It means none of our members will try to leave. It's for their benefit really, if they do they'll die, of course."

May tried so hard to control her shaking.

"And the liquid..." he continued, "well, that's in case something goes wrong, of course. Push a button and the poison releases."

She felt something rising in her throat.

"Fair enough," she said as calmly as she could. Archie gave her a look of surprise. All she wanted was to get out of the room. A sickness was spreading, and she was so frightened that she could have screamed right then. Death had never really come into their team before. Now it was all very real. It was all very dangerous, and it was all very evil. More than she could handle.

"You won't tell a soul, will you?" Archie asked, and May made a promise. She knew she would keep her promise this time. She couldn't break it.

When she got back to her room, he was there. She wondered if when he looked up at her with those innocent eyes, he saw that she had changed since she left the room, and that she'd gathered much sickness and upset from her last conversation. He didn't seem to notice, and went back to what he'd been doing, which was texting. Her head was too full for her to wonder who he might be talking to.

There's a feeling you get when you're unsure of what to do about a situation, and it makes you restless and sick, so that you can't sit still. That was how May was. She moved over to her desk, where she kept the few belongings that she had. She sat and tried to calm her breathing. She tried placing her hands on the desk in front of her. She tried putting her head in her arms. She tried everything she could think of. The sickness continued to spread.

_I can't stay here anymore,_ her head was telling her, _I have to leave, and I can't be a part of this. This is wrong, but if I try to leave they'll kill me... I can't do this... I can't..._

"Something is bothering you," Ash observed, and suddenly he seemed closer than he was. "Is it me?"

Something inside of her cracked. A feeling she was not used to flooded into her chest and her throat, and overflowed from her eyes. Her face rested in her palm, she began to bite down on it sharply. A stream of black moved down her face, silently at first, then she lost control. She gave in to the old feeling. The sobs racked her body, and the stream moved from her cheeks to the desk, occasionally hitting her arm, until she was drenched in her own tears. She couldn't answer him. She could hardly breathe. The blur of colours around her made her drop her head onto the desk so that it would all go away, and maybe she would wake up from this bad dream.

She might never have gotten back up, if she hadn't felt something warm press against her shoulder. It stirred her, and she lifted her cheeks. The fact that he was touching her didn't even seem to bother her. He seemed genuinely concerned, and that was something. The dampness of her cheeks suddenly bothered her, and she rubbed them with her wrist. She didn't say anything; just sniffed.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not with you," May tried to snap, but it came out feeble and Ash just gave a smile and a shrug. He removed his hand. His warmth remained.

"Fair enough."

May watched him trail back to his bed and fall in it. She sniffed and rubbed her arm roughly against her eyes. Secretly, she wanted advice. She would have poured her heart out to him in a heartbeat if she knew it would get her out of this situation.

A long moment of silence lingered on, until she found herself speaking.

"Could I... ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"What if... What if being here, in this team, meant doing something worse than abducting Pokemon or stealing items?"

"I don't get what you mean."

"I mean, like... say we were asked to abduct human beings instead. Would you?"

The twist of his face showed that her question did not impress him. She hadn't expected it to, but she hadn't thought about what a strange question it was. She readied her apology.

"I don't think I could do that."

She was somewhat relieved, and it sunk into her heart as fast as the grief had, and it helped to calm her; though she could not call him an ally. She could hardly look at him.

"Why did you ask?"

"I was just considering scenarios," she quickly lied.

"If you say so..." he muttered. She went back to staring at the wall. "This is strange. Talking to you now. I never imagined this would happen."

"I had nightmares about this happening," she retaliated. "And then, I killed you."

Ash fell silent for a moment. The comment was harsh, but deserved it. He knew that.

"I thought that you were dead."

And what could she say to that? Her dismay was replaced with a cold hatred, a one that still lay settled within her, only stirred when she saw his face or heard his voice.

"Fortunately, I am not dead."

"I am glad you're not dead. Even when I saw you in your uniform, I was glad."

"Then how come you were the one that almost killed me?"

The question cut into Ash like a knife.

"That is... That is not what I thought was going to happen, May. We were ten years old. How was I supposed to know what they would do?"

"You stood there and watched when they came for me!" she snapped, turning on him. "You could have said something, or done something, but you stood and watched, and it broke my heart."

Ash's eyes reverted to the floor.

"I remember," he muttered. "I remember everything from back then. I remember you, but I don't know you now."

"Maybe you would if you hadn't betrayed me. Maybe you'd know me much better."

Ash's head was hanging. He rubbed a hand through his hair and glanced up at her without raising his head.

"I loved you, May."

May's cheek twitched with utter frustration. The snarl on her face was barely controllable. This boy that had almost killed her dared to say those words to her. How dare he? Did he expect her to say that she had loved him too?

"That doesn't mean _shit_ to me now."

"I get it. I don't blame you for hating me. I can't help disliking you now too. But we're partners. Hate me all you like, but don't hold me back."

"Are you serious? Hold you back? Don't flatter yourself."

Ash grimaced and turned away. He didn't like the new girl in front of him. He could not see her as the girl he'd known. This was not the same girl. She was not the same in any way. He wondered whether she even had any emotions but anger and upset.

"Besides..." she started calmly, "I won't be your partner..."

"How come?"

"Never mind," she sighed. "I'm... not ready to discuss it."

"You don't need a partner, huh?" he hissed. She bit her lip hard. She would not shout. She would not make a fuss. There had to be a way out of this.

"Sure is boring around here," Ash commented, glancing around the room. "Suppose that's why you got so dull."

* * *

The next day started as a blur. May barely remembered waking up, never mind falling asleep. Her sleep had been disturbed by nightmares; Different ones every time. Some times she'd be running down corridors but there would be no way out. Another time she would be surrounded by people she knew and trusted, but they were turned against her. The worst was when she found herself strapped to a chair, and Ash was there, with the little capsule, inserting it into her arm...

She'd said his name in her sleep, and when she woke for the final time, he was sitting, watching her. Of course he turned away.

She'd been summoned again. She almost wanted to go to him today, to see what was going on. Being informed was much better than lying in the dark. She couldn't stand not knowing. Ash had left at her request so that she could shower and not worry about him seeing her in a somewhat revealing way. When she was done and her hair was all dry, she went to the door to see if he was still there. He'd left. She found herself caring less that she predicted, and left for Archie's office.

It was like déjà vu as she entered. They were in the same positions, wearing the same expressions, and they looked at her in sync.

"Good morning, miss May," Maxie greeted her, but she chose to ignore him.

"You're not going to sit this morning?"

She shook her head.

"Exciting news, May," Archie started. The screen at the back of the room flickered on. He pointed at the board, and started spouting out information like a waterfall. She hardly listened. He talked of where they'd began to carry out their plans. He told her of his conversation with the current leader of Hoenn. The whole time she looked as if she would fall asleep on the spot. But she was alert, and she was ready.

And so when she heard the scuffling around the building, she backed up towards the door as slowly as she could.

"Maxie is thinking that we could even add things to the capsules to improve them. You're usually keen to share your ideas, May."

"I don't have any ideas to share."

The shuffling outside was louder now, and a chorus of cries and wails came with it. There was no way Archie could not hear the sound. It echoed around now; the cries of her colleagues. She shut herself off so that it would not bother her and took one final step back.

"Do you think I won't notice you backing up like that?" Archie asked suddenly. He stood. "I had faith in you, May. I showed you the capsules, because I didn't think I would have to use them on you. Unfortunately you might have thought of how to stop them, so we will have to wipe your memory too..."

"Let me leave," she wailed. "Let me go and I won't kick up a fuss. I'll just leave and never come back."

"But May, there is no way for you to leave. You're my best member, and I'm not about to just let you go."

"I have rights! I should be able to choose what I do!"

"I'm sure they all think that too," Maxie commented, gesturing at the walls around them. The wails were still audible. Many people must have resisted. May reached for the door handle behind her.

"Do not do this, May," Archie warned her, and she knew he realised he couldn't catch her. "It will only make it more difficult for you."

"It couldn't possible be more difficult for me. You were like a father to me. I can't believe you've done this. I'll never forgive you."

She turned the handle and the door opened. The screams were louder now, but she pushed them to the back of her mind as she rushed out and pushed it shut behind her. Her vision was blurry now, but she did not remember beginning to cry. People were everywhere in a chaos, pushing to get away and being caught. She stopped and wiped away her tears, then began to walk. She walked steadily and calmly towards the elevator. She pretended nobody was around her. She watched a girl being pushed to the floor by a bigger man, and he gave her the capsule. She fell still then. May did nothing.

When she reached her room, Ash was gone. His sheets were in a tangle on the floor, and next to them, a small pool of blood. May felt a punch to her stomach when she saw, but she carried on. She grabbed her bag and her Pokemon, and a few things from her drawers, stuffing them into a small bag to put over her shoulder. She felt the presence of someone at the door the entire time, and she prayed that nobody would walk in. She could fight off some members, but by now many of them would have the capsule, and she would have to fight off more than just a few. She would lose.

So she pushed the door open again as if everything was normal. She took one last look at her room, where she'd lain for the last seven years. She looked at the things she was familiar with, and was leaving behind. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled the door closed. Her feet began to carry her towards the elevator again.

"May?"

She almost froze at the sound of her closest companion's voice. She longed to turn around and hug her friend, but she knew she couldn't. She had to leave it all behind.

"May, where are you going? You're not leaving, are you? May?"

Shelley's voice was piercing through her skull, and so she began to run, despite herself. She ran, with tears streaming down her face, from her best friend. She turned a corner and Shelley was gone, possibly forever. She continued to run.

Until she ran into something.

"May?" she heard for the second time. This time she stopped, and looked up. Matt looked down on her. She couldn't say a word.

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

She could not take her eyes off the capsules he had in his hand.

"Please don't hurt me, Matt," she cried. She fell onto his chest and cried onto it. She had never cried this much in her life. No amount of danger she'd been in had ever been as frightening as this.

"May, I won't hurt you," he hushed her, resting a hand on her back. "Go, and hurry. I won't say a word."

Relief sank into her, but she couldn't rest yet. She pulled away from him and looked at the elevators behind them. This part of the building was empty, but the bottom floor wouldn't be. She would have to sneak out. She would have to be as careful as possible.

"Thank you, Matt," she said, turning away from him. But she hesitated. "Hey... have you seen Ash?"

"Ash?" Matt looked to the floor. "I haven't."

_He's lying._

"Oh... Okay. I'm sorry, Matt."

"Good luck, May," he called as loudly as he dared, and she disappeared into the elevator. It seemed like forever in there until she reached the bottom floor. When the doors opened she straightened her back, dulled her eyes, and walked out. There were not as many people as she thought. People were milling around, chatting, and the woman that had always sat at the desk by the door was sleeping there. She simply walked to the door, where it opened itself for her and let her out into the wide world. She was greeted by the hills and sky and a burning sun, and it felt so welcoming to her. She sighed with relief as she made it outside and the door pushed shut behind her. Now she was alone once again.

_I've been alone my whole life. This won't be so bad. _She walked towards the hills. She barely knew where they would lead her now. _I'll find somewhere to stay, and I will warn people about Archie and Maxie... I'll find something to do..._

She still doubted herself. She really believed that she couldn't do it. How was she supposed to leave behind her entire world? Somehow, her brain blamed Ash for this.

_Don't think about him. Get yourself far away from this building before anybody catches you leaving._

May adjusted the bag on her shoulder so it was more comfortable and set off.

_I won't stop walking until I reach a town. There must be a town nearby. I won't stop to talk to anybody..._

The doors behind her slid open. She froze on the spot.

_I can't stop for anybody. Just keep walking. Don't even look back. _

She continued to walk, at a faster pace. She kept her eyes on the floor below her, and hoped that the person behind would turn and go back inside. She heard nothing, until the footsteps came.

Then she was knocked off her feet. She flew forwards to the ground, putting out an arm to save herself. She grunted as she hit the floor and somebody stumbled over her, as to not step on her. She scrambled forward, ready to attack. Everything happened so quickly.

She looked up, and saw Ash. His foot connected with her stomach and she fell into the dirt, choking and clutching herself. He knelt down on top of her and pinned her to the ground with both arms, using every ounce of his strength to keep her there. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule. May screamed and tossed, cursing him to die. Her language had never been so bad in her life.

"I thought you said you wouldn't do this! I thought you said you wouldn't be able to! You're a lying bastard! I hate you!" she screamed as if it would do her any good. Just as he leaned in to take control of her for good, his hair shifted and she caught sight of his eyes. They were dead; and then she knew.

With all her force she pushed upwards and slowly struggled away. She rolled to the side and he lunged at her with the capsule, not caring where he hit anymore. She dodged away and stood. She took as many steps back as she could and fumbled in her bag in a panic. She drew out a knife.

Ash didn't falter. He had no weapon but the capsule, yet he jumped at her again. She caught hold of his arm in a whir and pushed him to the ground. He grabbed her elbow and dragged her down too, and they landed in a heap on the ground. May pushed herself on top, using her knee to hold him down by his stomach. Her own stomach flipped as she steadied her grip on the knife.

She lowered it as steadily as she could and found the flesh of his arm. He cried out and she looked away, in fear she might throw up on him. She shook and he shook and she wished he would just stay still. The knife found the capsule in his arm and she flicked it up. The capsule fell out of his arm easily, covered in blood. Ash lost all consciousness underneath her. The blood poured from his arm in a waterfall. It covered her hands and her shirt and everything around them. He closed his eyes and lay back.

She looked back at the building. Nobody would help her. She looked back at the boy underneath her, and knew he was a human being with feelings too. She put her hands over the wound she'd made and sobbed violently onto him. The sobs racked her entire body as she lay on top of the boy she'd hated so much, the boy she had forever dreamed of killing, wondering how she could possibly save his life.

* * *

**Wow, that was super dark. Sorry about that. The next chapter may or may not be more positive! Please review if you like it. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally, the fourth chapter is here! Sorry it's taking so long- I'm in my final year of high school meaning I have a toooooon of work to do. I will still write when I can, though, and hopefully I can get them up sometime soon! Enjoy!**

* * *

The little capsule rolled away down the slope, leaving a trickle of blood behind it, until it stopped in a patch of grass, concealed. Everything fell silent. The only sound was the breeze. It didn't even rustle the trees.

May still knelt over the boy. Her grip on his arm had loosened. Her head rested next to his on the grass, and her hair covered over his face. She had never been so lost. She moved her head slightly and buried her face in his neck. _I'm such an idiot..._

"Losing a loved one?"

May did not move. Her eyes opened wide as saucers, but all she could see was black. Somebody stood behind her. Somebody stepped closer. She wrapped her hand around the knife again.

"Here," the voice said. May looked up, and saw an unfamiliar face. A girl. No more than 16 years old. She held out a hand, and in it was a bandage. May could have kissed her then. She took the bandage from her hand with shaking fingers and lifted Ash's arm. She wrapped the bandage around his wound as well as she could manage. Then she removed her bloody hands and stepped off of the boy.

"We need to get him somewhere else," the girl spoke, looking down at Ash with a hand to her mouth. May studied her. She seemed friendly enough. May wondered if she looked like a maniac to her.

"Who are you?"

The girl turned and held out her hand for a shake. May gave her a sympathetic look, and the girl looked down at May's bloody hands, and lowered her own.

"I'm Dawn. Dawn Berlitz."

"Dawn... Thank you, Dawn."

"Come on, it'll take both of us to get him up."

May lifted Ash's arm and placed it over her shoulder. Dawn mirrored her, and they straightened up. Ash did not move easily, and hung limply in their arms. They would move slowly like this, but at least they were moving. May didn't once ask where Dawn was taking them.

"So, if I might ask... you're in Team Aqua?" Dawn asked when they had walked for around ten minutes. She was out of breath, as was May. May had barely stopped shaking.

"I... I was, yes. Does that make you hate me?"

"Of course not," Dawn quickly replied. "I'm sure you have your reasons, and at least you've left now. They already attacked the town I was in."

"They... have? What happened?"

"They captured most people. I'd been outside and saw them coming. I'm not from Hoenn, so I didn't really know who they were, but I mean, you can just tell they're trouble. Sorry, not you, but them, you don't look like trouble. You're very pretty."

Dawn sure could talk.

"Thank you... Were you with anybody? They didn't get any of your friends, did they?"

"I wasn't travelling with anybody... But there's a person I know in that town. I know he got away too, because I saw him. I'm sure we'll see him eventually, he's hard to miss with his grumpy-ass face."

May didn't comment on that. She just kept walking. Dawn didn't stop talking then though, but she didn't mind. She was glad to have company, though she was not reassured. She tried her best to listen to Dawn the entire time, but her thoughts were on home, and where that even was to her now. Her thoughts were also on the boy she was holding up, and what he'd do when he finally woke up.

They saw the town another ten minutes later, as they reached the top of the first hill. It was only on the other side. Dawn asked if she needed to stop, but she shook her head, because she was so frightened of people from the building being able to see her. No doubt they could. She remembered days ago, when everything was normal, and she saw the man on top of the building from those blacked out windows. She walked faster.

It took them just forty minutes to reach the town after that. She was lucky there'd been a town around at all. They stopped outside, and May noticed the familiar members walking around. She buried her head in her hands.

"Hey, I have an idea. You're wearing their uniform, so pretend I'm your prisoner. I'll act as if I'm super depressed or something."

May knew there was no other way around it. Either that or they walked right in and got captured. They adjusted their positions so that Ash was more comfortable on them, though May's shoulder was burning.

A few members gave her looks, but nobody questioned her. It turned out Dawn was a good actress, and her face showed fear, upset and trauma all at the same time. She probably felt that anyway, but bottled it up.

"You do know where you're going, right?" May whispered to her.

"Turn right."

May did as she was told and turned down an alley. At the end, a house had it's light on. It seemed as if they were heading towards it. It was a tiny house, barely noticeable until you saw the lights. No wonder no guards were down this street. There was nothing but that tiny house.

"Why would we hide in town, Dawn?"

"Because there is food and a fire and maybe something to help your boyfriend," she answered in a hushed tone. May said nothing and kept going, till they reached the house and Dawn kicked the door open lightly. The living room was not well decorated, but there was a sofa, a chair and a fireplace. They set Ash down on the sofa and Dawn disappeared around the corner. May pushed the door shut and turned the light out. Some light leaked through the small windows, but not much. It was too warm to light the fire.

"Dawn?" she called. Dawn strode back into the room holding a bottle of alcohol and some kind of pad.

"He needs cleaned up. Will..." she paused, looking guilty, "will you do it?"

May nodded and held out her hands to take the alcohol. "Could you get me something to clean the..."

Dawn nodded and disappeared once again. She returned not a minute later with a damp cloth, and it would have to do. Somehow Ash had gotten blood on his face too. She gently rubbed the cloth along his face, down his cheeks and under his chin. She raised the cloth to rub his forehead, when his eyes shot open.

She removed her hand. Her heart raced. She had hoped he wouldn't wake until she was done. She glanced around nervously, checking for a weapon. Dawn was sitting at the door, looking out across the alley, keeping watch. She looked back down at Ash, but he didn't look savage. He looked confused.

"May?"

May shushed him, and with a deep breath, continued to rub his face. It was hard to concentrate on what she was doing while he lay there staring at her. His eyes were dark, tired, but watched her the entire time. There was something strange in them too.

She moved from his face to his arm, and his eyes followed. He grimaced at the sight when she took the bandage away. The pain registered for the first time and he pulled his arm away. May snatched it back.

"Please," was all she said. He relaxed his arm. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but his face was changing the whole time. She started to rub the blood away, and he moved as little as he could. Then she called to Dawn, and he noticed her for the first time, but didn't say a word. Dawn appeared quickly.

"Could you get another bandage?" she asked politely.

"I'll see if I can find one."

Dawn scampered off into what was presumably the kitchen, and May got back to working on his wound. Ash continued to watch.

"You cut the capsule out of me."

May kept her eyes on his arm and swallowed. She nodded. "Sorry. It was the only thing I could think of."

Ash was silent for a moment. "Thank you, May."

"Okay, now shush," she said, wiping her eyes a little. Dawn came back with the bandage and she wrapped it around his arm. He sat up and moved it around a little. Dawn sat on the chair next to the sofa.

"Wow, well look at you two. Very cute!"

"What?" May asked groggily, rubbing her head. Ash looked between the two in utter confusion.

"I'm saying you're a cute couple."

Ash choked. "And you are?"

"I'm Dawn, nice to meet you too."

"Dawn, we're not a couple, okay?" May muttered, leaning back against the sofa behind her.

"You're kidding me? So why were you crying like that when he was bleeding?"

May turned a way a little as she felt her cheeks burn. Ash turned to look at her with surprise on his face. She had no answer to that one.

"I wasn't that bad. I just didn't know what to do."

"The tape says otherwise!" Dawn cheered, holding up a camera. May started.

"What's that?!"

"Well, you know, if I'm going to be a part of this absolute madness, I may as well video it. I captured your entire fight!"

"Dawn!"

Ash's brow furrowed.

"Fight?"

Dawn leaned forward in her chair and placed the camera down on the arm of the sofa beside him. He took hold of it, and turned it on. May almost protested, but knew it would do no good. She slunk further down towards the floor and drew her knees to her chest.

He watched it with a blank look on his face, until he came to the part where May began to cry, and buried her head in his neck. He looked at her. She looked away.

Ash handed Dawn her camera back. It troubled him, she knew, but nobody said a word, until Dawn stood up and headed to the door.

"I'm going to see if I can find my friend," she announced. May shot her a crazy look, a look that begged her to stay, but Dawn shrugged and pushed the door shut beside her.

"We should talk about it."

"What is there to talk about?" May sighed. "You saw it."

"There's more than just that to talk about."

May pushed herself up to actually sit on the sofa, but drew her knees up again. She knew he was right, but she had no idea what she would say.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you yesterday," he started. "I got the wrong impression of you... I don't really hate you at all."

"I don't feel like I can talk to you properly yet. I'm still... figuring things out."

"I wouldn't forgive me either, but what I didn't say yesterday was... I went back looking for you the day after, and every day after that for weeks. I wanted to make sure you were okay, and I wanted to apologise."

May stayed quiet, looking at her knees. She felt like crying, but she had no tears left now. She had shed so many already.

"I get it," Ash said with a sigh, eventually. "Thank you for saving me though."

May refused to say he was welcome. Her stubborn attitude forced her up again. She'd heard that he hadn't been the evil child she'd thought he was, but it didn't change anything for her at all. It still happened, whether he went back for her or not. By the day after she would have been dead, if Team Aqua hadn't shown up. Thinking of Team Aqua brought back visions of the place she'd lived for seven years, and she put her face in her hands, before pacing out of the room into the kitchen.

Ash listened to her rummaging around in the cupboards, and sat back. He winced in pain when his arm touched the leather of the sofa, but did his best to hide it, despite the fact that nobody was looking. He heard May open the fridge, and pull something out. A minute later she came out, holding a plate, with two sandwiches. For a moment he thought that she was going to leave again. She hovered by the door and stared in at him, as if he were the plague. Just as Ash was sure she'd leave, she took one sandwich from the plate and lay the other one in front of him. Then she left. He stared at it for a moment, but sighed and picked it up eventually, wondering how on earth he could make things right.

Dawn didn't return until the sky was practically black. Ash didn't know where May had gone, but he had wandered and not seen her anywhere. Though, he didn't venture into the bedroom upstairs with the door shut. He figured if she was in there, she deserved that privacy. When Dawn returned, she offered a smile and headed straight up. She brought nobody back with her.

Dawn pushed the door open, and found May lying there. Her eyes were open and staring blankly at the wall. She didn't bother to look up.

"You want to talk about it?" Dawn asked. It seemed as if May wouldn't answer. She continued to stare for a good few moments, before turning and sitting up. She nodded.

"I feel awful," she began, rubbing the sides of her head. "I'm so used to knowing what's going on, that I'm so lost. I'm so confused."

"So many more people are going to be lost. It's easy to forget that… they're going to try taking over entire cities. Right now, we're the safest ones…"

"I'm grateful for that, but… They were all my friends. I've lost my father figure. What do I do now? There's Ash too…"

"Why is Ash bothering you?"

"It's a long story." May shifted to sit on the edge of the bed beside her instead. She wasn't ready to tell the story again, when her mind was screaming it at her so often. "Something happened a long time ago, when we were friends, and I've spent my years hating him, and wishing him dead. He wants to pretend nothing happened, but I can't. I still can't stand him."

"Yet you saved his life… That's a good sign."

May turned to her in shock. The truth was, she hadn't thought about that. She hadn't thought about why she'd done it. She just did.

"Do you think..." Dawn continued, as she moved restlessly around. "Do you think we could do something about this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, us. You, me, Ash, and whoever else we pick up… Do you think we could stop this?"

"Dawn, I don't understand what you're implying…"

Dawn stood and leaned against the wall beside her. "You've been in there. You know just how many of them there are. Nobody in Hoenn will be able to stop them, and what then? Will they move to Kanto? Sinnoh? Kalos? This is a _disaster_."

"You're suggesting… We start a resistance group?"

"I am… I think." Dawn scratched the back of her head and frowned.

"Have you spoken to, uh, him? About this?"

"No. To be quite honest with you, I've just thought of it… I know it's crazy, May. What else are we supposed to do? Continue hiding forever? Somebody's gotta stop them."

"I know you're right, but we need to think about it."

"Yeah, I know." They fell silent for a minute or two, until Dawn spoke again. "Why are you up here by yourself? You won't get better if you isolate yourself."

"I don't want to look at him."

"Just because of that?"

"No, I'm… I'm also embarrassed. You showed him the tape… And I cried a lot in front of him the other day…"

"You're embarrassed because you cried in front of him? Damn, you must have been a tough one. Well, if you won't come down, I'll come up. Later."

"You don't have to do that, Dawn. I'll be fine by myself. Just… speak to him about it. See what he says."

"I was planning on it," she said with a smile, and then left May alone again to speak with Ash instead.

Ash was still sitting there. Dawn wondered how he wasn't so bored. He turned his head to watch her descending the stairs, but turned away again when he realised it was only her. He had been expecting May, she realised.

"I don't know her well," she began, sitting on a chair by the fire, "but I see she's not having a very good time."

"I don't know her well either."

Dawn fell silent. Ash held his hands in his lap, staring into the flames dully. She watched him wince once and move his arm a little, and thought, May did that. Was he angry at her for that? Her mind worked to figure out exactly what was going on between the two strangers in the house with her. There had to be something but hate. There had to be at least a smidge of friendship somewhere. She made it her mission to bring that out while they worked together.

"She's up there because she's embarrassed that you've seen her cry."

"What?" Ash moved to face her. "Why?"

"You tell me… Maybe she picked up the tough girl appearance, and you witnessed it peeling away."

"She doesn't need to be embarrassed…" he whispered.

"Hey, listen, I've been thinking… Somebody needs to do something about Team Aqua and Team Magma. If it isn't stopped, they're going to spread out and nobody will be able to stop them. They'll have hostages and more people than we can imagine… So we have to do it."

"'We'?"

"You, me, and May. We have to start something."

"Oh, Dawn, I…"

"I know it's crazy, I know that, but hear me out. What have we got to lose? We'll lose so much more if we keep hiding here-"

"Dawn, listen to me, it's not about that-"

"It's about May, right? I've spoken to her, and I know you two could get along eventually, don't you think?"

"Dawn, I'm leaving."

Dawn stopped, her mouth hung open mid-word. Then she closed it and looked to the floor. He took a deep breath.

"I'm going to leave tonight, when I'm certain that May is asleep. You can tell her that I left, and she'll never have to see me again."

"Don't do this," Dawn pleaded. "We need you."

"You don't need me. May is tough, she'll help you through this."

"You'll be caught if you go out there alone," Dawn stated, as if it were a fact. To her, it was a fact. She barely knew this person before her, but she could not let him leave without warning him of the danger. The danger was large, too. There was so much danger, she wondered whether even the three of them together could manage anything.

"I'll be okay. I've made my mind up."

"May will need you. She only just met me, she needs someone around that she knows…"

"There's nothing I can do about that," he muttered, turning away. "We haven't known each other for many years, and she doesn't care to know me anymore."

"You're lying to yourself." Dawn stood and brushed her skirt off. She barely looked the boy in the eyes, in fear he'd see her terror.

Ash stood too, and picked up a bag that was sitting in front of him on the floor. It was filled with supplies, of course, but Dawn couldn't bring herself to believe that he would last more than a week out there alone. With all of those guards and nobody to rescue him if he was caught, he was as good as gone.

"Good luck then," she hissed stubbornly. Ash smiled as best he could, and flexed his arm around. Then he headed to the door.

"Thanks for helping to bring me here, Dawn. I know I'd be dead if you hadn't come. Maybe we'll meet again when this is over."

"Maybe…"

And with that, Ash left. He slipped into the night and shut the dark out again, leaving Dawn alone with the crackling of the fire. She took one last look out of the window, but it was far too dark to see if he was gone or not, so she slid upstairs and pushed the door open. May was asleep, oblivious. She went to the other room and fell back into the bed. It took hours for her to finally find sleep.

She woke the next morning to light streaming through the window. It was a bright day outside, and for a moment, Dawn was almost convinced that she was back at home, comfy in bed. The moment disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Dawn pushed herself up in the bed. She rummaged through the drawers to her right, which she had found a hairbrush in the day before, and ran it through her hair, letting herself have those few moments to relax. Then she went to meet May.

She found May in the living room, twisting something around in her fingers. When Dawn's feet made a sound on the stairs, she jumped, and put whatever the item was in her pocket.

"Where is he?" she asked, sounding almost concerned. She did her best to hide it.

"He left."

"What? Where did he go?"

"I don't know where he'll go, but he's gone, and he wouldn't let me convince him otherwise. He told me to say that you wouldn't ever have to see him again."

"Is he absolutely crazy?" she shouted, standing up suddenly. "He'll be caught! He might die! After I saved him like that, he just leaves? Ungrateful bastard…"

"I know, May, I know. But, you never know… He might be okay, and we need to focus on what we're going to do."

"What we're going to do?" She asked, followed by a loud, sour laugh. "What the hell can we do? There are _two _of us now."

"We'll find other people, I promise you." Dawn finally stepped down from the bottom step and stood staring at the door. "Ready?"

"So soon? Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry, and I'll get something later."

"Oh… Well then, yes, I'm ready."

They left the house with low spirits. May flung the bag she'd packed around her shoulder just before they left, knowing there was a good chance they'd not be able to stay at a place with food. Eventually she passed the bag to Dawn and trekked ahead, checking for guards and telling her new friend when it was okay to move. She believed she would be better for this job, since her last one had sometimes involved it. Guards got so close that May would press her back to walls and hold her breath, in fear they'd catch her. Yet, it was the same fear that drove her forward, and led them out of town.

Dawn decided their goal was Petalburg city. It couldn't be more than a day away, she explained, while May said nothing of it being her hometown. She agreed to go with an uneasy feeling rising in her stomach that passed after a few minutes of Dawn's endless chatter. She watched her feet as they worked through the forest. It would be unsafe to follow the roads when so many people would be watching them and travelling them. Not the kind of people they wanted to meet, either.

After stopping to rest and eat, then walking for a good few hours, the pair arrived at the outskirts of town, where the forest ended. The city peered over on the horizon, just beyond the few outlaw trees. May never expected to be back at that place, but there it was. Just a mile away. She was ready to keep going, to a safer place than they'd been at, when voices rose from nearby. Dawn pulled her back into the brush.

"Why do vampires believe everything you tell them?" a male's voice spoke. May held her breath.

"I don't care, how about that? Keep moving!"

"Because they're suckers! Oh, come on, man, at least smile. Or, even better, let me go."

The voices were getting closer. May pulled back a little further into the black and watched intently. Their feet appeared, and walked right past. A Team Aqua member she didn't recognize, probably much lower than she'd been, and a regular boy, around 17 years old, being dragged behind. May's first instinct was to inspect the Aqua member. The members at the HQ had been wearing the capsules on their belt. This one had none. He'd either run out or hadn't been given any. He was taking the boy to get one.

"Here's our chance!" Dawn whispered, but loudly, right into her ear.

"What chance?"

"He can be our first save, our first new member!"

"What, that guy?"

"Yes, that guy. Don't be rude, May, you don't know him."

May's nose twitched and she held back all of the nasty remarks that came to her head. She turned back to the people before her. They'd stopped now. The boy was giving the member grief, by sitting down and refusing to move. They began shouting. Then the member pushed the boy over onto his side and booted him in the stomach.

May stepped out of the dark.

"Excuse me," she started, approaching them both. "Who are you?"

May's elite badge still sat on the edge of her shirt, she knew. It may have been stained and scratched, but it was still there. The member glanced once at it, and with a scornful face, stepped away from the boy. May allowed herself to glance down at him. He'd almost finished coughing from the blow. His hair was green, she noted. They would have a good range of hair colors in their group. She smirked.

"You're done here. Go back to HQ and tell Archie that May sent you back."

The member stayed frozen on the spot, his older face twisted in disgust. It seemed as if he wouldn't move, until May raised her eyebrows, stuck out her chest a little, exposing the badge, and he turned. He grumbled for a moment. He took two steps away, and turned back. He'd been turned long enough for May to realize a gun sat in his back pocket. She cleared her throat.

"Lady, I swear I don't have any valuables, I don't see why you would want me…" The boy started from the floor. She didn't turn to hear him, but listened to him stand, and stood in front of him, holding her arm out.

The member pulled out his gun. She heard the boy gasp.

"Shit, shit, shit, what is this?! What the hell is this?"

"Put that gun away." May ordered, still standing in front of the boy. The member laughed.

"I know you. They warned us about you. I have to compliment you, you're good. But I'll be promoted if I bring you back, dead or alive…"

May shrugged. The boy behind started to cower, throwing his arms up and muttering. He watched the girl in front of him carefully. A loaded gun was pointed at her chest, and she barely flinched. She was either an alien, or a good actress. He hoped she was the first.

"It was nice meeting you," the member said with a smile. Suddenly, a hand was on his chest, and the ground moved from beneath him. His head smacked the ground hard, but he glanced up in shock. May moved quickly, launching at the bigger man and landing a blow on his chest with her foot. He shot out, missing her shoulder by an inch, and she grabbed for the gun. He continued to fire it as she held on, teeth gritted, pulling as best she could. The boy swore loudly, backing up, trying to stand. The member shot out one last time, and he watched May bring her knee up, hitting him between the legs, and he let go. The gun was May's. She pointed it at him, and he could merely scamper away. The boy stood now, taking a few cautious steps forward.

"You were saying?" May spoke, putting the gun closer to the man. He snarled. "Now, go to Archie, and tell him that May sent you. Now."

Without another word, he stood, and moved. He glanced back every few steps, but didn't come back. She watched him warily until he was long gone into the trees. Then she acknowledged the boy she'd saved. He was shaking like a leaf, with his hands wrapped around himself.

"Don't shoot me, I'm begging you. I didn't do anything wrong! I was just travelling!"

May tucked the gun into her back pocket. He relaxed a little, but his eyes were no smaller, and his body was still in defense mode.

"I'm not going to shoot you." She shook her head. "Sorry you had to see that."

Dawn arrived as quiet as a breeze, with little but amazement on her face. She stared at May as if she were her idol, or her favorite celebrity. May gave her a 'please-don't-look-at-me-that-way' look. She still stared.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"My name's May. This is Dawn. And your name is…?"

He inspected them both for a moment, as if looking for a reason not to tell them. May waited, her whole body relaxed, trying to show him he didn't have to be afraid.

"I'm Drew," he answered, finally letting his arms drop. He let out a huge sigh of relief and pushed his hands through his hair. "What you just did there… That was amazing."

"That person you were just being dragged around by, well this girl's his superior by far. She was a top criminal, the best of the best. She is amazing. Her skills are amazing," Dawn spat, getting closer to May. May grimaced.

"Dawn, you're exaggerating-"

"But you are an elite of Team Aqua, aren't you?" he mumbled.

"I was. I… recently left."

"Oh thank God," Drew sighed. "So I'm safe."

"Not exactly. They're everywhere. They're attacking everyone. If you want to stay safe, you'll have to stay with us."

"Stay with you? Why? Where to? For how long?"

"I don't know how long for. Dawn and I… we're planning on standing up against Team Aqua and Team Magma, but we don't know how long it will take before we can do anything. We need more people and more strength. You can come with us and help, if you like…"

"I… Okay. I'll come with you. Anything is better than being caught by another one of those guys. I don't feel safe here. Answer questions later."

May nodded. Dawn nodded too. And so, their team of three turned and, with May in the lead, headed for Petalburg.

* * *

**And so, a new member is added, and perhaps one is lost. Oops!**

**Don't forget to review if you liked the chapter! (or even if you didn't maybe). I'll try to have the next one up soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**And I'm back! Sorry for disappearing for so long! I'm in my final year at high school and it's really tough with lots of homework and stuff, so I don't have much time to write at all. ;-; Still, I will try to get the next one up before too long!**

* * *

Later, it seemed, was just an hour later. The forest had grown dense, and they were lost amidst the trees that had been protecting them from the sun, but were now just making it colder. The sun was lost behind murky clouds, and a piercing wind had set in. May would have given anything for some more clothing. The end of summer was calling, and she was not ready. Her stomach was open to the wind, which tore at her skin each time it passed. She took to wrapping her arms around it, though those were bare too.

Drew started his questions as a particularly cold blast of air passed them. May clung to herself harder as she strained to hear him.

"Team Aqua and Team Magma, huh? How are they planning on controlling an entire region?"

May had been expecting the questions, and knew he deserved an answer, yet she couldn't be bothered to answer. She gave a heavy sigh, trying to think of how to explain to Drew without taking too long or sounding scary.

"They developed capsules they can insert into your arm to basically take over your brain and nervous system. It means people that are caught will either be held hostage or given the capsules, if they'd be useful."

Dawn, who was not interested in listening to things she already knew about, reached into her bag and pulled out what had been filling it up. She slung the long, pink coat around her and shoved her arms in, snuggling up warmer. May grimaced.

"I don't think it will work," Drew commented smugly. May turned back to him with burning eyes.

"You haven't seen what I've seen."

At that, Drew shut his mouth.

Dawn slid in between the two to break the awkward silence. She knew the brunette didn't want to be bothered; her face said it all. Still, she couldn't say nothing.

"It's going to be hours before we reach any buildings," Dawn observed, gaining a glare from May. She cleared her throat. "So I guess we're going to have to camp out here... But May, you're going to freeze to death."

Her friend opened her mouth to speak, but slowly recoiled and crossed her arms tighter across her chest.

"I know you're tough, but it's not summer anymore... Not even you'll be able to sleep like that."

"I'll survive," May muttered. Dawn sighed to herself and kept her mouth closed until the sky began to glow with the sunset.

Drew had been making comments to Dawn along the way, slowly growing more confident and able to speak to her, like they'd been friends for a while. May kept her eyes averted, knowing there was better things to do than make friends. When the time came to set up the best camp they could with no equipment, Drew suggested it first.

Dawn threw her bag down underneath a collection of trees and lay down beside it, exhaling as if she'd been holding her breath for hours. The trees blocked some of the wind, but May could still feel it tearing at her bare skin. She stood clutching the bag around her shoulder as Drew settled down a few feet from Dawn.

"You coming down, May?" Dawn asked, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. May reluctantly lowered herself to the ground, finding it did little to help her cold problem. She set her bag down by the same trunk Dawn leaned against and lay her head on top of it. She looked up in time to catch Dawn's frown right before it transformed into a sweet smile.

"Tomorrow we'll reach Petalburg, right?" Drew asked as he copied May. May closed her eyes.

"I hope so." Dawn sighed. "And I hope we'll find something or someone of use there."

"You think Team Aqua and Team Magma will stop for sleep like this?"

Dawn was silent for a long moment before she answered. "I don't know."

Drew stayed quiet then too, and May heard him shuffle around on the ground. He was maybe two foot from her, and she knew she could reach out and touch him. She curled up her legs. She'd never slept so close to someone in years and years.

She tried desperately to sleep until the sky was completely black and everything was still. An hour or so into the darkness, Drew began to speak again.

"You asleep, Dawn?"

"No."

"You asleep, May?"

May chose to keep her mouth closed.

"This is like something you'd see in a movie, isn't it?" Drew spoke again, keeping his voice to a whisper.

"Definitely not what I expected from my trip to Hoenn."

"You're not from here?"

"No, Sinnoh."

Drew paused. "Is she?"

"Is she what?"

"Is she from here?"

"Yes, I think so."

May knew Dawn didn't know much about her at all, but she found she was afraid of what the girl might share with the stranger they'd picked up. She didn't trust Drew at all yet. She barely even trusted Dawn.

"What's up with her? She's... what? A criminal?"

"I guess so..." Dawn started. May closed her eyes even tighter. "I don't think she's... bad, though. I think she's got a kind heart, really."

"Then why is she so... sad? I mean, I know this situation is a little hard and confusing, but..."

"You're asking me this, why?"

"I thought you'd have some sort of idea."

"I guess... Well, I mean, I suppose Team Aqua must have been her home, and everyone she knew was there. So now, she's got nobody, except... There was a boy with us that she knew, but he left... and I think she got worse after that. He was the only person left that she was connected with."

May's head was swirling by the time she finished. She didn't want to give away the fact that she was awake, but she felt she needed to move. She didn't want to hear any of this. She wondered why Drew didn't say anything back to her, until she heard him move.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked. May listened to Drew shuffle across the grass, until she could sense him right by her. She tensed, waiting for something to happen. Something made contact with her skin, and she knew right away what was going on. Drew's jacket covered most of her body, and she instantly warmed up. She prayed he couldn't see her lips trembling.

"Why did he leave?" He asked as he lay back down, perhaps closer to her now.

"They have problems they need to sort out."

Under Drew's jacket, May felt warmer and somewhat better. A few minutes later their talking turned into inaudible murmuring to her, and just as she drifted into sleep, she realised the jacket smelled faintly of roses.

* * *

She didn't wake until Dawn placed a cold hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes to see Drew still sleeping, in just his black shirt now, turned away from her. Remembering the jacket, she sat up and lifted it off herself. Drew was right by her now. She simply reached out and lay it back on top of him instead. He moaned and rolled over a little.

"Ready to move?" Dawn asked her. May opened her mouth to answer, until out of the corner of her eye she saw Drew move, and she turned to catch his gaze instead.

"Mornin'." He smiled.

"I... Thank you, Drew," she muttered awkwardly, looking away.

"Don't mention it. You sure you don't want to..." he trailed off, holding the jacket out to her. She smiled as much as she could and shook her head.

"I'll be okay. It's a bit warmer now."

"Well, if you say so." He shrugged and pulled it back around himself.

"May, have you got food?" Dawn asked. She tried her best not to sound desperate, but May could still sense it. She reached into her bag and sighed.

"Fruit?"

"I'm not fussy."

May handed her some fruit that she'd taken from the house. She wasn't sure what she could take on what might be a long journey, and fruit had seemed like a good option at the time. She handed some to Drew too, and he thanked her. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she forced herself to eat something before they headed off towards Petalburg again.

It was only when they stopped for a break, two hours later, that Drew spoke to May again. He had watched her every now and then while they walked, but noted that her facial expression rarely changed. If she was thinking about something, her face would not give it away. He had only known her for a day, if that, but he felt concerned for the person that he might be forced to befriend and stick with.

"So, where are you from?"

May wondered silently whether to tell him the truth or not. After a moment, she spoke. "Petalburg."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I haven't lived there in years. What about you? Where are you from?"

"LaRousse City."

"That's a nice city."

"How long were you in Team Magma for?"

"Seven years." May bit at her lip. "It feels like it was my whole life, though."

"What were you? One of those... members that you hear lurk in caves?"

"I usually stayed in the building... I was an elite. I didn't have to leave unless it was very serious."

"Oh..."

"I don't... Just because I was in there, that doesn't mean I'm any kind of evil... We looked out for one another. They were the only family I had."

"I know," Drew quickly started. He turned to May and have her the best smile he could manage. "I'm not bothered. I'm just glad you're out of there now. Now you can start again."

May almost was mad at Drew for saying that. After all, how could he understand how she felt? He had probably grown up with family and friends his whole life. Still somehow his words seemed to lift a weight from her heavy shoulders. He was right. She could start again. She could find new friends, and she already had a place to start. She smiled back. His smile turned genuine.

Just half an hour after they set back off, the city appeared. From so far away, none of them could tell what it's condition was. They broke out of the trees onto a path that led directly there. The trees followed them down the sides of the dirt road as they made the last push towards their destination. A few hundred yards before they reached the sign that would enter them, they spotted the first red uniform. Dawn dived into the trees, pulling Drew with her. May slowly stalked in, keeping an eye on the man with his back facing them. He seemed to be patrolling the road. The city had been taken.

May rubbed her eyes, feeling that weight drop back onto her shoulders.

"What do we do now?" Dawn wailed, covering her face with her hands. Like May, she was longing to find an area where they wouldn't have to hide and could warn other people of the danger. But they were too far behind. It was near impossible now.

May removed her hands from her eyes. "Hang on..."

She peered around the edge of the large trunk that had been concealing them.

"What are you doing? He'll see you!"

May recognised Amber almost instantly. She checked around, until she was sure he was the only one around, then stepped out from behind the tree, making sure she made some noise. She needed to know whether he had the capsule or not. She fingered the strap of the bag on her back, remembering the knife.

Amber turned, and his face lit up.

"Oh, little May!" He called, jogging to meet her. She exhaled loudly, and held back a few tears of relief. She didn't notice Drew and Dawn watching. He extended his arms and she let herself fall into them, glad of the familiar warmth.

"I'm sorry," she cried quietly.

"It's okay. I understand. You and I... we must have very different opinions on this, but that's okay. I'm just glad you're okay."

"I need your help, Amber."

He hesitated for just a second, but May caught it. She knew she was asking him for a lot, and she knew what would happen if he was caught, but she also knew that he was very clever, and he could help them.

"Just you, right?" he asked. He began to edge more towards the trees.

"Well..." May looked behind her. Dawn emerged from behind the tree, and Drew followed reluctantly.

Amber looked back down at May. "New friends?" He knew she wouldn't answer. "What do you need help with?"

"I want to get into the city. I need somewhere to stay, somewhere to get supplies from."

"May... The city is dangerous. I could get you in there, but no matter where you stay you'll get caught."

"There has to be somewhere. There can't be guards everywhere. They have you stationed all around the perimeter, right? I know there's not that many in there, Amber."

He sighed and ran a hand across his head. "Okay. But what are you planning to do, May? Run forever? You can't run forever. It's not safe. At least if they get you, I can make sure you're kept safe-"

"Amber. I've made up my mind."

Surprised by her change of tone, he fell silent. He knew he couldn't win her over. She had always been stubborn, but he could see something new in her now. Quiet, somber May was perhaps beginning to come out of her shell. She could release even more of her potential now. He smiled.

"Alright. I'll get you in there and take you to the least guarded area. Chances are you'll not be caught by anyone, but I can't promise I'll be here to help you out again."

"We'll manage."

Amber sighed and shifted his weight. He flexed a little and reached for a device at his belt.

"I need you to be ready to move fast, okay?"

May nodded for the three of them. Amber moved back a step and glanced around before pulling the device from his belt and pressing it to his ear. He spoke frantically of escaped hostages around the south side, requiring immediate backup, and gave no name. As soon as he put it down, a faint commotion was heard from the city, and then it died down.

Amber gestured for them to follow, and moved quickly towards the city. It seemed deserted when they arrived. Nobody stood on the streets talking or heading home. Nobody drove down its paths on bikes and cars like they would when May lived there. There were no children in the school yard, where May had laughed all those years ago. They were simply in a ghost town.

He led them mostly right, to a corner of the city where the houses were spread out and neat. Still there were no guards, and May didn't think anyone would bother watching this area. After all, no one would be in their homes.

"Here."

"Are you sure?" She had to ask.

"Yes. I know a couple of hostages have gotten away with hiding here before... but I let them."

That fact left May optimistic. Perhaps there were people on this street that they could join with. They could use some more people to help them when the time came to fight.

"Thank you." May put her hand on his arm for a second before letting it drop again.

"You're welcome, May. Promise me you'll try to stay safe?"

"I always do."

With that, he turned and began to walk away. May almost stopped him to ask a question that had been plaguing her since she saw him, but decided it would be better if she didn't hear the answer.

"Thank God!" Dawn exclaimed once he was out of sight. She stretched her arms and legs as if she'd been sleeping the whole time. "Guess it doesn't matter which house we go in..."

"Don't you feel bad going into someone else's house?" Drew asked, though May wasn't sure he'd feel too guilty himself.

"We do what we need to." May made the first move towards the second house on the street. The door swung open, as she predicted, and Drew followed without a word. Inside was warm enough, and May felt instantly better seeing a coat rack just by the door.

"Finally," Dawn said, stretching her arms out. She jogged into the room on the right, a living room, and collapsed on a chair.

"Don't get too comfortable." May closed the door slowly. "We're just going to rest up, find anyone else like us around here, then we'll have to move."

Dawn huffed but didn't argue. Drew sat down next to her. May inspected the coats on the rack for a moment.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Dawn turned around to her and cheered. "Great idea! I'm next!"

Dawn and Drew waited downstairs as May showered. She found clean towels in the wardrobe and located the bathroom. She hated using someone else's shower, but she had no choice. She needed to rest. She spent over twenty minutes standing in the heat thinking before she even began to wash her hair. As she turned the shower off, she sighed at the fact that she'd spent most of the time wondering where Ash had gone to.

Downstairs, Dawn and Drew had turned on the TV. It seemed the only available channels were news channels from Sinnoh. It didn't make for interesting watching, but May knew that Dawn would want to see what was going on back in her region. She probably understood that she wouldn't get to go home for a long time.

"I'm done," May muttered as she seated herself on a different sofa. She'd stuck her clothes in the washing machine, so now she sat wrapped in a towel. Drew glanced over and looked away again.

"Sorry."

"Whatever, it's cool."

Drew smiled, but he wouldn't look at her. Dawn stood and headed up the stairs for her own shower. May chose not to speak but instead pretend she was watching the TV. She knew Drew would be feeling awkward, but she rarely got that way herself, so she wasn't so bothered. She still didn't trust Drew much. She couldn't say she liked him yet.

"I think you're really amazing, May."

Her head jerked in his direction, but she said nothing.

"You're being such a good leader, and right after you've lost your home and friends... You must be really tough. I can't imagine what it must be like for you."

Stubborn May sat quietly and looked down at her legs. She wouldn't say anything, but she did feel something. Pride?

"If we hadn't met under these circumstances, I don't think I would have been your friend." He shuffled around nervously. "But we're going to be stuck together for a while, I'm guessing, and now I know that you're kinda cool. I think we should be friends."

May smirked down at her legs ever so slightly. "Yes, I do too."

"I think we'll make a good team."

"I hope so."

Drew began to ask May questions about her life. At first, she was defensive, and gave vague answers, or even lied. Eventually she figured out that telling Drew was making her feel better, and she began to open up. They talked for a long while, even after Dawn came down and announced she was going for a rest. It was two hours later when May decided she should move.

"My clothes will be dry now. And my hair is too."

She stood and headed to the kitchen. Drew watched as she left. She dressed quietly in the kitchen and headed back through. Drew expected her to sit back down with him or go to bed, but instead she grabbed a coat from the rack and put it on.

"Where are you going?" Drew asked, and May could hear the concern in his voice.

"Out. I'll be back." She gave him a smile, and just as she thought, he said nothing as she left. She hated to admit it, but it felt good to have a friend.

She shook her head and focused on what she needed to do. She needed to find whoever else was hiding out in this neighbourhood. Amber had mentioned somebody else... and unless they had managed to escape, she knew they'd still be around somewhere.

She buttoned up her coat to hide the Team Magma logo on her shirt and pulled the hood up over her head. She'd brought her bag, where the knife hid. She would only use it if there were no other options.

She headed further up the street first, keeping to the walls. All of the houses were dark, but some had closed blinds. She decided that if anyone was around, they were likely in one of those houses. She turned a corner towards the closest one with closed blinds and watched for a second from the garden. She had done this many times before in her life. She moved towards the back of the house without making a sound. Up on the second floor, a balcony overlooked the back garden, and the pool there. May silently moved towards the shed. She climbed the fence and hauled herself onto the roof of the shed. Then, when she was at the very end of the opposite edge, she jumped for the balcony and caught hold of the metal bars. She swung like that for a second and waited to see if anyone had heard her. A few seconds later, she pulled herself up, and swung herself over the bars. Standing on the balcony, she looked back at the garden once more. It was dark outside, and she'd deliberately chosen a black coat. She'd be hard to spot.

May decided to pull at the glass door that led into the house. There were curtains behind that had also been closed, so as long as she was quiet, she wouldn't be noticed if she slid the door open quietly. It didn't make a sound as she gently pushed at it. Then, when it was halfway open, she shifted the curtain ever so slightly. She noticed him right away. A figure lay in the bed, asleep.

_First time lucky._

She pushed the curtain to the side and stepped in. The figure lay like a statue. Now, if she could only just get a look at him...

The bedroom door swung open. May moved back and bumped into the glass. The thump echoed around the room, and a new figure stood by the door. She froze. He froze.

"Move it!" the figure shouted as he jumped onto the bed and launched at May. The other figure struggled to move, but May paid him no attention. The boy swung a fist at her face just as she moved, and his fist connected with the wall. May stretched out her leg and swept him off his feet. He clattered to the floor. May barely had time to move before he grabbed the lamp from beside her and smashed it against her leg. The bulb shattered and the force knocked her onto the floor. A sharp pain told her she'd gotten glass caught in her leg. The boy stood as she did. The other figure began to rise. She knew that she couldn't win here. She ran for the balcony, though she didn't know what she could do once she reached it.

Out on the balcony, she hesitated, just for a second. It wasn't _that _far up. She could probably make it, but she didn't know how injured her leg was. Just as she was about to jump, she felt an arm wrap around her leg, and she was tossed over the side. She curled up as she hurtled down and her back found a wooden table that she had planned on avoiding if she jumped. It smashed underneath her and all wind was knocked from her. She heard the boy scramble back into the room and knew he was planning on pursuing her. She struggled to her feet, wincing at the pain, and ran. As she did, she reached down, and yanked a shard of glass from her thigh. She screamed out as she did, and the door of her house flung open. Drew stood at the door. His face turned white at the sight of her.

"May, what's going on?"

She flew past him and violently pushed the door shut. She grabbed the key from the side table and, with shaky hands, locked the door. She moved into the living room and closed the curtains, then the kitchen, and then upstairs. Drew followed her around, sounding as if he would cry, asking her what was going on. Only when she had closed all curtains did she stop and answer him.

"The escaped hostages." She panted. Drew was rummaging through the kitchen cupboard, searching for a bandage for her leg wound. "I found them."

Dawn was rubbing her eyes tiredly as she entered.

"What on earth is going on?"

"There's others on this street. I broke into the house they're in. I got a good look at one when he opened the door and stood in the light."

"Did he attack you?" Dawn gasped.

"Yeah. He could be anybody. I ran."

Drew knelt beside her leg and began to clean the cut on her leg. She winced, but she felt a fondness for him as he looked after her.

"Tell me, what did he look like?"

"Purple hair, quite tall, uh... Regular size. Dark eyes. He was wearing a dark jacket and jeans."

Dawn stood stupefied for a moment before she broke out laughing.

"Dawn, I wouldn't say this is a funny situation," Drew cut in, still kneeling by May.

"Sorry, sorry." Dawn sighed as she finished. May shook her head and focused on blocking out the pain in her leg.

Dawn knew she couldn't tell May that the boy she'd fought with could have been her very own friend, Paul. She had to confirm it first, and only she could go to see him. Paul clearly had his guard up, and rightly so. Especially with the way she dressed, May looked like the typical Team Aqua or Team Magma member. Even Drew could have been considered suspicious. No, Dawn knew that she would have to speak to Paul herself. Perhaps then she could convince him to trust the ex Team Aqua member she was travelling with. But first, she had to know which house he was at.

"Which house did you go to, May?"

"It's around six doors down, and it's the first one you see on the left with the blinds closed. I checked there because I knew anyone hiding would close the blinds. It just happened to be the first one I checked."

Dawn nodded and left. Soon after, Drew would join her, and May went off to sleep properly for the first time in a while.

In the living room, Drew cornered Dawn.

"You know this guy, don't you?"

"What guy?"

"The one that attacked May."

Dawn rubbed the back of her nervously. "I might. I was going to go check now."

"Who is he?" Drew asked, backing off a little. It was then that Dawn realised he could be completely trusted. He had gotten at her to protect May.

"An... old friend of mine."

Drew seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Just let me go see him, please."

Dawn's desperate tone surprised Drew a little. He looked her in the eyes, and saw just how much she wanted to go see whoever it was. Who was he to stop her?

He sighed. "Be careful."

"I will," Dawn called, as she already headed for the door. Outside, she could see nothing. She squinted, hoping for a little bit of light. She closed the gate quietly and turned to face down the street. Her eyes adjusted, and she could make out the shapes of the houses against the moonlight. Six doors down, she reminded herself. She counted six as she walked, and turned. The one on the left. All of the lights were out, and just as May had said, it seemed all the blinds were closed too. Now... How could she do this?

Dawn decided to go for the easiest option. She knocked on the door. She didn't expect an answer.

So when he answered, she stood in shock. He'd flicked the light on in the hallway, and stood there, looking the same as he had when she'd last seen him months ago. Now though, his hair was rugged, and some stubble was starting to grow on his face. She would have giggled, if he hadn't been looking at her in such a strange way.

"Dawn?"

"Paul."

"You're alive."

The simple statement made her smile. She looked down at the ground to hide it. Had he been concerned?

"I'm alive, and I haven't been captured."

"I..." He cleared his throat. "I'm glad."

He looked so serious, but Dawn could tell that he was hiding something. She laughed and stepped forward to put her arms around his torso. He didn't hug her back at first. She didn't expect him to at all. Eventually, he placed a hand on her back. Dawn felt her heart soar from the touch of someone she knew well. She had added another member to the team. But, May had failed to mention the details of just one thing. The other figure that had been there when she visited.

From the dark living room, Ash watched.


End file.
